Obligations
by Tim Nolan
Summary: A Sailor Moon story that is a continuation of the storyline started in 'Awakening'. This story features all of the Senshi as they try to learn to work together as a team and begin to realize that they are facing a very old enemy.
1. Default Chapter Title

Obligations {1/3}  
  
A Sailor Moon story by Tim Nolan in three parts.  
e-mail: nomad@cyberverse.com  
  
Please see comments following the story.  
  
Obligations.  
  
" Duty is heavier than a mountain,  
death is lighter than a feather." - Japanese proverb.  
  
Prologue.  
  
A hollow, booming sound resounded through the castle,  
and the cracking sound from the gates brought cheers from  
the attackers outside. He had just enough time to grab the  
woman he came for and pull them into an alcove. The gates  
finally were thrown open by the mass of troops that  
spilled into the courtyard, searching for any survivors  
of the choking, poisonous cloud of sickly green smoke  
that was finally dissipating.  
He had shielded the two of them from the spell that  
had lain low the defenders after their commander, one of  
his apprentices, had fallen with an arrow through his  
chest. The fool hadn't even kept himself properly  
protected from mundane weapons. Another spell hid them  
from the view of the attackers, who fanned out to search  
and pillage the richly furnished keep.  
It didn't take long for the troops to force the  
doors to the main keep, where he and the woman hid behind  
a statue of Hermes in the entrance hall. With all the  
efficiency that the Atlanteans were famed for, they checked  
the hall for dangers and then let their king and his  
retinue in.  
" Now, my dear, look upon the one that you love.  
This was a result of his infatuation with that little  
brat on the moon. As long as she has his heart in her  
hand, you'll never have a chance to get him," he  
whispered in her ear. She had stiffened when the royalty  
had walked in, but her eyes ignored the finery of the  
king or his four generals. She was captivated by the  
sight of the young prince, who stood with the four  
Warlords of Atlantis.  
The young man wore dark colors to set him off  
from the clashing hues worn by his father. His uniform  
was almost as drab as the gray tunics worn by the  
Warlords, the actual leaders of the troops. The generals,  
resplendent in their parade ground finery, were little  
more than cronies of the king. The five old men reminded  
him of a pack of old peacocks trying in vain to impress  
each other.  
He glanced at the woman for a moment. She had been  
part of a low ranking noble family that had fallen on  
hard times. She wore a long black dress that was in  
shreds that would have revealed much except for the  
cloak her long, red hair made around her body. Her  
features were pretty enough that she could have captured  
the young man's heart if she would have learned to be  
patient in her pursuit of her prey. Instead, she had  
rushed in and was rebuffed by the young prince.  
Her love had turned to hatred and ate away at her  
soul like a cancer. She fled from the court on the Moon  
and been recruited by his apprentice at this castle. He  
had arrived just in time to rescue her, for he could  
make good use of her pain and anger. She will be an  
excellent tool in time.  
" I'll show you how to get him. All you need is  
a little training in the arts and politics. Do you see  
the four men in the gray tunics? They are the key to  
the military, which is the key to Atlantis. Their power  
comes from their armies, which are aided by the Moon  
Kingdom.  
" Those four old men, over there by the king,  
they're his appointees. They don't have the support  
of the troops, only that of the crown. They're nominally  
in charge of the armies and the Warlords, but it's a very  
unsteady command. All we need to do is to give it a  
little push..." he said while a ball of chill, white  
energy formed in his hand.  
" ...and it will all come tumbling down. ICE  
BOLT!" he cried out and flung it at the king. One of  
the warlords, the one with long, white hair, had  
sensed something and had leaped to place himself  
in the line of fire to shield the king.  
It was done in vain. The glowing ball curved  
up and over his diving body and slammed into the chest  
of the king, knocking the old man to the ground. The  
young prince charged towards the statue he hid behind  
with the other three warlords in his wake, but he had  
prepared for this. The gate he had used to come here  
was still there, and he simply grabbed the woman and  
stepped backwards into the cool darkness of his  
study. He slashed out with his hand to break the  
gate spell to prevent pursuit and walked to the table  
to pour himself a glass of wine. He took a drink, and  
then poured one for the woman.  
She took it and drank while sitting on one of  
the chairs in the room. He could almost see her mind  
at work. He'd have to teach her some subtlety in her  
expressions.  
" I'll head off the inevitable questions, my dear.  
The king isn't dead, but he'll be next to useless for  
the rest of his life. The generals and the warlords will  
be at each others throats for several months while the  
power is re-distributed. Your prince will have to take  
on more and more responsibilities and that will leave him  
wide open for all the nobles to try to manipulate him to  
their own ends. That will leave him little time to see  
the princess and give you the opening you need."  
" Why did you save me?" she asked. That, at least,  
was a good sign. She was thinking about the situation. It  
was a good start.  
" I have my own score to settle with Atlantis and  
the Moon Kingdom, my dear Beryl. After I train you for  
the task at hand, you'll be able to walk in and take both  
him and Atlantis. After that, we'll take the Moon  
Kingdom. I hope the idea of betraying your home doesn't  
upset you."  
The memories came back to her, despite all her  
efforts to stop them. She had been able to coax the  
prince into a few conversations and was so close to  
catching him she could almost taste him. Then, one  
afternoon, all her dreams fell apart. The little witch  
was the source of all her problems. She wanted that  
blonde head on a silver tray.  
" No, it doesn't. Not at all."  
  
End - Prologue  
  
******************************************************  
  
Obligations  
  
Part 1  
  
A soft, spring rain had just finished falling. There  
hadn't been a lot of precipitation, just a light, even  
downpour that made the streets glow from the reflected  
lights of the city. The rain had cooled the air slightly,  
bringing the temperature down to where it was just  
tolerable when compared to the heat of the day. The  
clouds were clearing away to the east, allowing the  
light from the gibbous moon to bathe in soft silver  
the areas where the neon did not hold sway over the  
city.  
It was in one of the fields of silver among the  
fences of streetlights that a figure crept through a  
house, carefully trying to avoid making a sound. She  
had thought her hunger had awoken her, but even the  
ice cream in the freezer didn't ease what she was  
feeling. The container was put back in the freezer  
after only a single spoonful, surely a record for her.  
Thanks were quietly given to the designers who decided  
the freezer didn't need a light like the refrigerator  
did.  
The young woman slipped around the spot in the  
hallway by the stairs that always creaked when weight  
was placed upon it. She had learned that one some time  
ago. The same long years of experience at nocturnal  
raids on the kitchen allowed her to move to the stairs  
without awakening her brother, who now slept in the  
downstairs room right by the stairs and doorway. He'd  
make a ruckus if he heard her, just to get her in  
trouble.  
The sleeping arrangements had been changed a few  
months ago, after it became clear their visitor would  
be here a while this time. Shingo had been put in what  
was her mother's sewing room, and his old room now  
housed the person she decided was the source of what  
troubled her tonight. She crept silently up the stairs,  
avoiding the slightly loose fifth step, and stopped just  
outside the room next to hers. Her ears strained to hear  
any noise from inside, and a few moments holding her breath  
allowed her to hear the faint whimper from inside. She  
exhaled quietly and weighed her feelings in her mind.  
Most sixteen year old girls didn't have this kind  
of problem, she thought to herself while faintly smiling.  
At least she would have the advantage of having gotten  
through many of the worst problems she would have had in  
the future with her daughter. Knowing who her daughter  
was and having the chance to help raise her before she  
was born was confusing, to say the least, but it also  
gave her hope that it would get better. Chibi-usa always  
commented on how close she was to her mother, and sometimes  
that was the only thing she could cling to in order to  
make it through the nights of the last few months.  
The most recent threat they had faced had nearly  
removed any chance of her having her family. Queen  
Nephrenia had nearly destroyed them, and Chibi-usa had  
faded from sight as the probability of her existing  
became more and more remote. She and the Sailor Senshi  
had defeated Nephrenia, and restored her chance of  
having the little girl, who reappeared as soon as Mamoru  
had been freed from the Queen's influence. She hadn't  
fully realized how much the little girl had come to mean  
to her. It had taken her all this time since then to  
come to this conclusion.  
Another whimper from inside the room brought her  
abruptly to the present and action. She carefully turned  
the knob, opened the door and slipped into the room. The  
sheets on the bed were tangled around the girl, who  
twisted again and again in an effort to move while she  
cried out once from some nightmare.  
" Chibi-usa-chan?" she said softly, laying her  
hand on the girl's cheek. The girl woke with a start,  
still obviously caught in the throes of the dream.  
" Mama?" she said in her clear, high pitched  
voice as Usagi's heart broke from  
the pain in her daughter's voice. She could never  
remember her calling her own mother that. It was always  
Mommy, or when she was older, Mom. The only person she  
could ever remember calling that was a vague recollection  
of her other mother that was more emotions than images.  
It was probably just the dream, but Chibi-usa had never  
called her that before, and to her surprise, she liked  
it.  
" It's all right, Chibi-usa-chan, I'm here. It's  
only a bad dream," she said soothingly to the young girl  
while freeing her from the tangle of blankets and then  
scooping her up into a hug. " It's all right, honey. I'll  
stay with you, O.K.?"  
The little girl wiped away a few tears from her  
eyes as she nodded her assent while Usagi covered her  
with the pink heart and white rabbit sheets and lay down  
next to her. The young girl squirmed around so that her  
head rested on Usagi's shoulder. She gave her daughter  
a reassuring squeeze and cradled her in the embrace of  
her left arm.  
" Do you want to talk about it, Chibi-usa-chan?" she  
said, watching her eyes slide closed as sleep once more  
began to exert it's hold on the young girl.  
" No, " the young girl mumbled. " I've already  
forgotten about it. Thank you for coming in and...  
checking... on... ." The girl fell silent as she went  
once more to sleep, her breathing a soft, slow cadence  
that set Usagi's heart at rest. Somehow, she must have  
felt the fears the girl was having and had woken up.  
She lay there a long time, trying to sleep, but  
her thoughts kept her wide awake as her mind raced. She  
tried counting sheep, but kept on losing track in the  
several hundreds and finally gave up. Fortunately, it  
was not a school night and she could sleep in, assuming  
she ever went back to sleep.  
" Thank you, Mama." the little girl whispered aloud,  
lost in some dream of a happy time. The tears came to her  
eyes, finally, and she lay there and let them spill down  
her face for several long minutes. She glanced down at  
the sleeping girl, studying her face. She was so cute  
when she was like this. Far too often, they were arguing  
with each other and it was twisted up in anger at her. It  
had to change, she decided.  
" Chibi-usa-chan?" she said softly to the little  
girl. There was no response, but that didn't matter to  
her right now. She would have to learn to say this to  
herself, and to believe it in the times to come, if she  
really wanted it to change. Like any journey, it would  
begin with the first step, and that was admitting the  
problem was there.  
" I'm tired of all of this fighting, Chibi-usa-chan. I  
want to be more like the mother that you need. I won't be  
able to change overnight, but I will try to be different  
towards you. This time, when I thought I lost you, I  
realized how much you mean to me. I want us to be happy  
together here, you and I and Mamo-ch -... your father.  
" Please be patient with me, Small Lady. I 'm not  
yet Neo-Queen Serenity, but I'll try to be like her for  
you. I'll try harder to be the mama that you need here,"  
she said as she stretched her neck down, kissed the  
sleeping child and brushed her hand over the pink hair.  
Her guilt assuaged, sleep finally came to her and  
she joined her daughter in dreamland. Neither of the  
sleepers heard the faint sound of a set of paws landing  
on the windowsill. The black cat settled there, the  
golden crescent on her forehead glowing in the moonlight,  
and looked at the young woman, clearly startled by this  
unseen side of her charge and the speech she had just  
heard.  
  
*******************************************************  
  
" Thank you, Ami-chan. This means a lot to me. I'm  
glad you're willing to help me on this," the blonde girl  
said, giving the other a quick, impulsive hug. They both  
turned and walked up the long set of steps to the temple.  
At the top, they were greeted by another girl, who had  
just finished sweeping the courtyard and stood beneath  
one of the large trees while feeding a pair of crows.  
" Good morning, Rei-chan," the girl with the short,  
blue hair said with a small bow in deference to the  
priestess-in-training. Minako, remembering her manners,  
also sketched a bow at Rei. Leave it to Ami to give her  
a lesson in manners, even in dealing with an old friend.  
" I'm still not sure this will work, Minako," said  
the girl with the raven hair as they filed up the stairs  
to her room in the temple. " I thought we would need to  
have Sailor Moon for this. We've never tried it without  
her."  
" It should work, Rei-chan. Thank you for agreeing  
to help." the blonde girl said as she sat in a chair by a  
small desk while Rei began to change out of the traditional  
robes she wore. Ami blushed slightly and looked out the  
window at the sunrise, squinting slightly to let her eyes  
adjust to the brightness.  
" Why is it just the three of us, Minako?" she  
said as she pulled on her jeans and a sweater. " What  
about Mako-chan? Why didn't you ask her?" Minako sighed  
once before answering.  
" If we are successful, I may not want Usagi  
knowing what we did. I trust Mako-chan with her life,  
but I'm afraid that she might say something about this  
accidentally. I hate to slight her, but I trust you two  
more to keep it a secret if need be."  
" I'm not sure I appreciate such a compliment,  
Minako-chan," Ami said after a few moments of silence,  
" Not at the expense of a friend."  
" I'm sorry, Ami-chan," the blonde girl said, coolly  
meeting the gazes from the other two. " If this didn't  
concern Usagi, I would have never brought that up. Let's  
go downstairs, into the courtyard. I'll explain everything  
there."  
They went down to the courtyard, the stiff breeze  
sending their hair flying to one side as they walked. By  
some inner understanding, they ended up standing around a  
patch of new stones in the walkway, their color slightly  
paler than the others. They had used this exact spot several  
times before as a starting point. That was one of the  
factors that had led the blonde girl to decide to try  
this at the temple.  
Minako looked at them, studying her friends. She  
was about to ask them to face something they all had an  
unspoken agreement to not discuss. It wouldn't be an easy  
thing to ask of them, and she would probably be as hurt  
as much as they would be if her plan was successful today.  
Ami had her normal, slightly determined look on her  
face as she blinked a few times at the rising sun in the  
east. She wore, at Minako's request, a good, tough pair  
of jeans and a warm sweater. Her boots were more for  
walking then hiking, but they would suffice.  
Rei had on the same type of clothes as Ami, and  
was patiently waiting for Minako to begin. She wished  
she had that patience to call upon. If it came down to it,  
she could spend hours at a single task if it concerned their  
duties as a Senshi, but Rei could do the same thing in her  
normal life. If she could do that, her grades would be more  
like Ami's as opposed to Usagi's.  
" Again, thank you very much for helping me on this,"  
she began, looking at both of them. " I know it's a lot to  
ask of you to do something like this without knowing  
everything, but I can't tell you everything just yet. It'll  
all be clear when we get there. I know we never did this  
without Sailor Moon, but we've gone to this place before,  
and that should help. We've also done things without her  
before, like the barrier we put up around Mugen Gakuen  
High School.  
" Do you remember when we went to that asteroid that  
Fiore was on?" She waited for both of them to nod in  
reply. " I was the one who called out the orders to attack  
that first seed when we used the Planet power, so I think  
I can get us started. I don't think that we have to have  
Usagi."  
Ami nodded, her mind racing through the  
possibilities. " It's a sound theory, Minako-chan. I'll  
help you," she said, smiling at the other two.  
" I'm in as well, Minako. I trust you on this," Rei  
replied.  
They looked again at each other, then Rei and Ami  
reached into their dimensional pockets to take out their  
transformation wands.  
" Mercury Crystal Power, Make-up!"  
" Mars Crystal Power, Make-up!"  
In a flash of red and blue light, the two girls  
were gone. In their place stood two of the Sailor Senshi,  
the wind causing the longer bows on the back of their  
skirts to flutter wildly. Minako looked at them again,  
hefted her backpack onto one shoulder and pulled out  
her wand.  
" Venus Crystal Power, Make-up!"  
When the orange light subsided and she was Sailor  
Venus, she reached out her hands to her friends. They  
took hers, and each others, forming a small circle  
around the new and often-replaced stones of the walkway.  
Eyes closed, they concentrated as they began to faintly  
glow in the same colors of their tiara stones while Rei  
and Minako's hair drifted up above them.  
" Sailor Teleport!" Minako cried out, thinking  
with everything she had of that one place they did not  
discuss. I'm sorry to do this, my friends. Please don't  
think I love you less because of this. I never wanted to  
harm you, but I have to go there. My dreams don't leave  
me any choice.  
The bone-chilling cold was the first thing they  
noticed. Rei muttered a curse under her breath that a  
Catholic school girl had no business knowing while Minako  
changed back to her normal self and started handing out  
parkas and pants to the others from her backpack.  
" What is this place, Minako?" Ami said as she pulled  
on the cold weather gear. " I don't think we've been here  
before." She continued to look around her, waiting for a  
snow flurry to clear so she could see around her. Minako  
and Rei pulled theirs on, with Minako turning back into  
Venus before getting dressed, but leaving the backpack off.  
The cold usually wouldn't bother them when they were the  
Senshi, but the cold here was as much of the spirit as  
that of the flesh, and the parkas would help ease the  
mind.  
" Minako!" Rei suddenly screamed at her in rage and  
pain as she realized where they were. Ami turned at the  
outburst and got a look at the terrain as the snow cleared  
behind them. Her face went as white as the snow, and then  
she ran off to be violently sick, leaning against a small  
boulder as she retched.  
" What the hell were you thinking, you fool! You're  
as scatter-brained as Usagi, you blonde ditz!" she yelled  
as she slapped Minako across the face, a red welt coming  
instantly to the girl's cheek. She hadn't even moved to  
avoid it, and the fact that there were tears rolling down  
her face before she was slapped made Rei stop her tirade  
a few moments later as her anger faded.  
" I'm sorry, Rei. I had to come here, and this is  
the only way I could think of getting here." Minako said,  
her voice close to breaking while she looked down and  
refused to meet her eyes. " I didn't want to hurt you like  
this, but I was afraid that you'd say no if I asked  
beforehand."  
Rei reached out and pulled the sobbing blonde into  
an embrace. Minako was very much like Usagi in that both  
hated to see anyone hurt. It must have been very difficult  
for her to do this.  
" I forgive you, Minako-chan. Please forgive my  
outburst. That was my anger speaking, and my pain. It  
wasn't my heart."  
The blonde stepped back, wiping away the tears. She  
went to her backpack and pulled out a bottle of mineral  
water and some towels.  
" I thought this might happen," she said softly  
to Rei, and went over to Ami, who has just finishing the  
last of her dry heaves. She nudged the shorter girl slightly  
and held out the water and towels with a sad smile.  
" I'm sorry, Ami," she said to her, smiling  
tentatively. " I knew it would be worst for you, as you  
were one of the first." After Ami had cleaned herself up,  
they turned to go back to Rei, but the slight wail of the  
wind kept them from hearing a whispered chant.  
An ofuda struck Minako squarely between the eyes,  
causing her to fall in surprise, landing on her backside,  
and Ami to burst out in laughter at the sight.  
" We're even, Minako." Rei said with a glint in her  
eye before all three started laughing together. Ami helped  
Minako to her feet while Rei attached an ofuda to Ami and  
herself.  
" It pays to be careful in a place like this," the  
black haired girl said, looking about uneasily. She could  
feel the evil in this place, the residue was so strong. " Let's  
get this over with."  
They started retracing their steps from that fateful  
day long ago. The first sign that they were on the right  
path was a patch of reddish snow that almost made Ami  
lose it again. She forced herself to stop trembling and  
looked around her.  
" This was where I died." she said. " That shouldn't  
be here. The snow should have covered it or been blown  
away by now."  
" I can still feel the evil here," Rei replied. " It's  
like a smell that has gotten  
into a place after a long time. Let's hurry, everybody."  
They detoured around the place where Ami had fallen  
and made a direct course to where Minako had her last  
moments. It wasn't easy for her to see the place either,  
due to the memories it stirred, but she seemed to know  
exactly where to go and was determined to go there.  
It took several minutes to reach the pile of ice  
and rocks that marked the spot. Minako began to look  
around and talk to Ami about what to scan for while Rei  
leaped to the top of a large boulder and looked to the  
north, where a small crater could still be made out, the  
edges blackened and burnt.  
They wouldn't go there, thankfully, but she had to  
look at it while she was here. How could Usagi have done  
it, she thought to herself. How could she have continued  
on after watching them die, one by one? At the time, she  
had been yelling and screaming at the poor girl. Now that  
it was in the past and she was not hurt herself by  
watching what had occurred, she could appreciate Usagi's  
strength even more. The princess didn't act very strong  
in everyday life, but she always came through when the  
chips were down.  
It took Ami several minutes to find what they sought  
as she walked around with her computer scanning and showing  
the results on her visor. Minako's instructions weren't  
that precise, thanks to her poor grades in her science  
classes and a lack of solid information, so it took a while  
to find. Eventually, she had to search in reverse, scanning  
for what wasn't there as opposed to trying to find something  
that was.  
Rei was called over to free the sword from a layer of  
ice, and she carefully melted it loose of the icy grasp.  
It was made of a silvery, metallic substance that Ami  
could not identify. Her computer didn't even have a match  
for whatever it was made of.  
" Don't touch it," Minako warned the others.  
" I didn't get it hot, Minako-chan," Rei said,  
protesting.  
" It's not the heat, Rei-chan." The blonde replied,  
steeling herself for the attempt to take it. " It may be  
harmful to the touch if you aren't the one it's meant for."  
She reached out, grasped the hilt and hefted it.  
It was a heavy one, designed for someone bigger than  
her and far stronger. Mako-chan probably couldn't even  
use it properly, but Haruka just might be able to. The  
hilt was almost too big for her to hold on to properly,  
and she used her other hand to steady her grip. It had  
twin crescents for a guard, one opening towards the tip  
and one towards the pommel.  
After cautioning them to stand back, she walked  
over to a large rock and took a two-handed swing at it.  
The lack of resistance as it cut through the stone  
caused her to lose her feet, falling on her rear for the  
second time today. Ami and Rei were so impressed by the  
halved boulder that they didn't even laugh at her plight  
or her pout.  
" Minako-chan, what is that thing?" Rei said, surprised  
at the result. Ami  
looked at her as well, her eyes betraying her eagerness  
for the information to help her solve this new puzzle.  
" It's the Silver Crescent Sword, the twin to the  
Silver Moon Sword that the Commander of the Guard on the  
Moon carried." The names seemed familiar to both Rei and  
Ami, even if they couldn't figure out why, so they didn't  
have any questions or comments. This often happened with  
the fragmented memories of their past life. Minako's  
next statement was the bombshell, however.  
" This sword is the symbol of the leader of the  
Sailor Senshi."  
" What?" Ami and Rei said in unison. Minako smiled  
gently at them.  
" Usagi was never one of us in the past as a  
Sailor Senshi. There was no Sailor Moon in the Moon  
Kingdom. She's still our leader now, Rei-chan, but I  
was the leader in the past." she said. Her eyes lost  
focus and her voice dropped so the other two had to  
listen carefully to hear the rest. " My dreams were  
right. It was here all this time."  
" Dreams, Minako? What kind of dreams?" the  
priestess said softly, half to the others and half to  
herself. What if this was some kind of trap by some new  
enemy? Minako blinked twice, and seemed to come back to  
the present. She could see the concerned look that was  
clearly written in Rei's eyes.  
" I'm all right, Rei-chan. Thank you for caring." She  
gave her a warm smile before continuing. " They started  
when we first began seeing the talismans. The sight of  
Haruka's Space Sword made me realize that something was  
missing.  
" The first dream happened a few nights after that.  
I had a flashback to when we were preparing for the last  
battle at the Moon Kingdom, just before Queen Beryl's  
armies attacked. I remembered drawing it to emphasize to  
someone the point that I was the one to make the decision,  
not her. Queen Serenity agreed with me, and she backed me  
up with her own decree. I figured that if I didn't have it  
with me, it could only be here."  
Ami and Rei were quiet for several moments while they  
tried to see if this disclosure brought any new memories to  
them. All of their recollections of the Moon Kingdom and  
the last days of the Silver Millennium were vague and hazy  
due to their re-incarnation in the present. Even Luna and  
Artemis didn't have many clear memories of the past. All  
they had to go on was scraps and fragments that fell far  
short of satisfying their curiosity.  
" She was so beautiful," Minako whispered. " Now I  
know where Usagi gets it from. She's just like her mother.  
You see her and you just have to love her. You don't have  
any choice in the matter."  
Rei was still searching inside of herself, so Ami  
was the only one to see the mischievous twinkle appear in  
Minako's eyes.  
" You'd better be careful, Rei. You can push Usagi  
around, but she'll be more than your match if she takes  
after her mother," the blonde girl said while smiling  
sweetly at her intended target. Rei looked up sharply, the  
color rising on her face until she realized she  
was starting to fall into Minako's trap. She liked gently  
teasing the others, and the easy banter put her mind at  
rest about this journey being a plot by some unknown enemy  
that had ensnared the blonde.  
" I do not push her around, Minako. She-"  
" Is that what we came for, Minako-chan?" Ami said  
softly, interrupting the others and their 'discussion' that  
was about to start. At Minako's nod, she went on. " Let's  
get going. I'm even starting to feel the evil here."  
They turned back to trudge through the knee deep  
snow towards the spot they arrived at. Ami weighed the  
ramifications and considered the possible responses for  
a few moments before asking a question when they stopped  
to get their bearings.  
" What do you want us to tell Usagi-chan and Mako-chan,  
Minako-chan?"  
" I'd like to keep her from knowing about this, at  
least for a while. I don't want her to think that I'm  
trying to undermine her position as the leader of the  
Senshi."  
" What if something happens to her?" Rei said  
quietly. " What happens then, Minako-chan?"  
" I hope it never comes to that, Rei-chan. I hope  
it never does," she replied, sighing and turning back to  
take the lead for the first leg through the drifts of snow.  
On the way back, Minako fell slightly behind the  
others when her turn at the front was done. She didn't  
want them to know of this one thing, at least not yet. She  
hated keeping these secrets, but sometimes surprise was  
the best weapon of all. A secret was only safe when one  
person knows of it.  
She grasped the lower crescent on the sword, willing  
it to come off. It did so with a slight, metallic click.  
There was no sign of change to the rest of the sword. It  
now looked like the lower crescent had never been there  
before. Her fingers found the catch as quickly as if she  
had used it this morning, and it opened up like a crescent  
shaped compact, complete down to a mirror in the lid.  
The big difference, however, was the face of Sailor V  
looking back from where the reflection of Sailor Venus  
should be.  
  
***********************************************************  
  
The limousine pulled up to a stop in front of the  
gates to an old, deserted cathedral. It had been a busy  
place when the driver was younger, but that was a long  
time ago. A shift away from Catholicism many years back  
had doomed the building to a slow fall from grace.  
A man was waiting there, dressed in a sharp, European  
styled suit. Like his passenger, this man at the curb was  
also a foreigner. The difference was that he could tell  
the man at the curb was from Europe just by looking at  
him and listening to this voice. He could narrow it down  
to the exact country in a few minutes of talking to him.  
The driver's gift with languages was one of the keys to  
his success.  
His passenger was altogether another story. They  
had talked at the start of the trip from the airport, a  
short exchange of mindless pleasantries until the man  
had indicated he wished to think for a short time. They  
hadn't said another word. It was as if the passenger was  
from another planet. His voice and speech didn't give him  
any idea of where this man was from. His appearance vaguely  
hinted at Mediterranean, with short, black hair and a  
matching, closely cut beard and mustache, but his skin  
color was a shade too pale an olive for that.  
The man at the curb paid him, including a generous  
tip, and sent him on his way back to his garage. They  
wouldn't require him to return, and the tip was good enough  
for him to decide to take off early and spend some time  
drinking sake at his favorite spot. He might even call his  
wife later on and invite her down for a few.  
" How did the title search go, Matthew?" the older  
of the two said. He looked to be in his mid thirties, or  
a very well preserved forty, and wore a well-tailored  
gray suit  
with a white carnation in the lapel.  
" Well, Archmage-" he said, but was cut off by a  
slight wave of the other's hand.  
" Please, Matthew, we've known each other far too  
long for titles. Besides which, the organization that  
we earned them in is long gone," the older man said as  
they started up the steps.  
" The owner before the last one was the Catholic  
church, Jason. About two years ago, a gentleman appeared  
out of nowhere according to the records that I have  
access to and bought it with cash from that organization." He  
paused to hand a photo to the older man. " The gentleman is  
one Sanjouin Masato. There is no information on him that I  
can find, so it's obviously a fake identity."  
The older man studied the picture as they walked to  
the top of the steps, avoiding the ivy that had overgrown  
and covered some of the stairway. The man in the picture  
had a good, strong face and brown hair that was at least  
down to his shoulders. The only thing that he recalled  
being different from the last time he had seen this man,  
aside from the clothes, was the slightly twisted, diabolic  
cast to his features. He was at some type of athletic  
facility in this picture, and it was a shot of him standing  
among the small crowd watching a tennis match that was the  
photographer's primary objective.  
They walked in through the doors that Matthew swung  
open with a minor spell. He was rewarded with a slightly  
disapproving look, but let that slide by him. It was an old  
difference of opinion between them regarding the conservation  
of energy and when to make use of the power.  
The inside of the cathedral had long been stripped of  
valuables by the Church before they had let it lapse into  
disuse. It had been restored recently, although not expertly.  
Both had studied and visited the great cathedrals of the  
world and could tell the difference.  
The object of their visit lay on the floor of the  
main section of the cathedral. The inside of the arching  
ceiling had been modified into a hemisphere and was painted  
flat black. There was a wall built so as to block the light  
from entering that portion of the cathedral, except that  
which spilled in from two small doors. A slab of white marble  
lay there, directly under the center of the ceiling, glowing  
a pale white in the darkness of the room.  
Matthew concentrated for the brief moment it took  
him to invoke his mage-sight while realizing that Jason  
was already finishing his preliminary examination of their  
subject. He would never be the equal of the Archmage in  
the field of analysis. Jason rightly acknowledged no  
equal in that area.  
" It's what you suspected, Matthew," the older man  
said. " The energy pattern is coalescing here, although  
it's very slow. It would normally take a few more years  
for it to finish, but I think that we can change that  
without any problems.  
" I'm going to check on the progress of the golems  
and the decoys that Gabriel is working on placing. I want  
you to bring in four... no, make that six of the captives  
from the main fortress. Use the gate to get them here and  
put their life-energy into this pattern. That should give  
us another tool to use against them. The reappearance of  
an old enemy should make them go in circles for a while,  
and that will give us the time to finish the plan  
properly. "  
Matthew watched the Archmage turn and leave through  
the front door of the cathedral. He still had work to do  
here, and he began to compose a list of what he would have  
to do and what materials he would need for the gate and  
removing the life from a half-dozen people. He had long  
ago gotten over having any remorse about their innocence.  
  
*********************************************************  
  
There were several open windows to the large room at  
this end of the building, with soft light and fast paced music  
pouring out into the night air. He could make out the sounds  
of the piano easily, although the one playing the violin was  
truly exceptional. At some points, it almost sounded like he  
was hearing two violins due to the complexity of the melody  
she wove.  
This must be the place, if he was hearing these two  
instruments, not to mention the way they wound around each  
other in a complicated dance, alternating between working  
with and challenging the other. There were only two people  
he knew of with that kind of teamwork, even in their music.  
The drapes were pulled back to let in the breeze, so  
he lightly jumped up onto a low branch to plan his movement  
from the cover of the leaves. In the room, the only light was  
several candles that rested near the grand piano. A young  
woman sat on the bench, keeping pace with the violinist who  
sat on top of the piano while occasionally adjusting a small  
synthesizer that rested on the top of the piano.  
The violinist was a young woman with turquoise hair that  
was partially bound with a red ribbon. She wore a soft yellow  
dress that nicely complemented her hair, and she had her eyes  
closed while she played. A small white pad of cloth between  
her chin and the violin was the only item she that didn't  
blend in with what she wore.  
She was an epitome of feminine grace, and that made the  
contrast between her and the pianist all the greater. It  
looked like a young man accompanied her, but he knew the  
difference. The girl was tall enough that, with her short,  
sandy blonde hair and deep voice, she could pass for a man.  
Even now, she wore the men's clothing she preferred. Tonight,  
it was a medium blue shirt and white slacks. A nearby chair  
had a pale yellow jacket draped over it that would complete  
her ensemble.  
The gold cross she wore flashed in the candlelight when  
the pianist reached up to tap a key on the synthesizer and she  
slowed the pace down. He realized the playing would shortly end,  
so it was time for him to get in position. The other side of  
the house would be the best place for his entrance, so he  
slipped out of the tree and quickly ran around the corner  
without making a noise.  
Once there, he listened to make sure they were still where  
they had been when he moved. The violin had just stopped, and the  
piano was on the last notes, so he leaped up onto the windowsill  
and balanced there, his long tail stretched out behind him as a  
counterweight. The violinist finally opened her eyes to smile at  
her partner and congratulated her on the composition when he  
decided to speak.  
" I'd applaud, but that's a little bit difficult for me. May  
I come in?"  
" Certainly, Artemis," the violinist replied. She and her  
partner relaxed a bit as the intruder turned out to be friendly.  
He leaned forward, gathering his muscles and judging the distances.  
At the right moment, he launched into an arc that brought him to a  
landing next to the two on the piano, and he didn't even have to  
use his claws to stop. Thankfully, they didn't use too much polish  
on the piano or he would have been embarrassed.  
" I believe it's customary to give flowers after a fine  
performance, isn't it?" he asked rhetorically as he closed his  
eyes and concentrated. There was no way he'd do that silly back  
flip for this like Luna would. A pair of roses came into existence  
at his feet, and he carefully scooped one up in a claw to hold  
out towards Michiru, who took it with a slight smile on her face.  
He repeated the gesture to Haruka, who took it but didn't smile.  
" You two are as good as the girls have been saying. That  
was very well done."  
Michiru inhaled the delicate aroma before responding.  
" These had better not have been from my garden, Artemis.  
I'm really trying hard to get my roses growing properly again  
after that sudden chill we had a few months ago."  
He smiled, or at least as much as a cat can be considered  
smiling, at the jest and her carefully neutral way of describing  
the fact that the Earth was nearly frozen over by an attacker  
from outer space in that 'sudden chill.'  
" You should talk to Mamoru then. He's surprisingly good  
at growing flowers, and he's a genius with roses. I'm sure he  
would be happy to help you."  
" How did you find us, Artemis? Why are you here?" the  
other woman interrupted, her voice low and eyes flashing. She  
wasn't amused by his presence here, he was certain about that.  
" And make me reveal my sources? Please, Haruka, I couldn't  
do that," he replied, keeping his voice light and sweet.  
" Artemis," she growled.  
" All right, Haruka, I'll tell you," he said, and walked  
over by one edge of the piano so that he wasn't standing in  
between the two of them. He sat down and carefully curled his  
tail around his feet as Michiru swung around to face him, sitting  
cross-legged on the piano with her violin in her lap.  
" I'm a cat, Haruka. We're very social animals, and once  
I can explain that I'm not moving in on their territory, I can  
get a lot of information from them. You two aren't very subtle  
about your wealth, so your descriptions and the comparatively  
small geographic area of the really nice areas of town make it  
pretty easy. I just narrowed it down to the right areas, and  
then I hit the streets.  
" Your violin work is pretty noticeable to a cat's ears,  
Michiru, and they say that you're very kind to all the animals  
here. That means it's a popular place for the cats. There  
aren't that many kind violinists with turquoise hair, so I  
figured I had the right place."  
" Cut the bullshit, Artemis. Cats are color-blind. Stop  
flirting and tell the truth,"  
Haruka said, her voice milder than it had been. She had relaxed  
somewhat, however, so she was getting over her anger at being  
discovered. Her joking was a good sign.  
" It was pretty much just like that, except that you had  
better tell Setsuna to start changing her tactics on the  
computer. She really doesn't have any idea how good Ami is  
with them, or how determined she can be. Ami found a trace  
of a back door of hers in the school system, and was able to  
get part of a street name off of a fragment of data. That's  
what I used to find out your neighborhood, and then I just hit  
up the local cats. I deleted the information from her computer,  
by the way, so you should be safe from her finding you, at  
least for a while."  
" Thank you, Artemis," Michiru said after she and Haruka  
glanced briefly at each other and sighed inside. The cat seemed  
to understand that they didn't want to be traced, at least not  
now, and was trying to make sure he didn't intrude on their  
life any more than he had to.  
" What brings you here tonight?" she continued, reaching  
over to a table near the piano for her drink and handing Haruka's  
to her. " This obviously isn't just a social call, or you  
wouldn't have done this here. We're out in public enough, so  
you would have done it at a neutral place if that was the  
case."  
" Actually, it is sort of a social call," the cat  
replied. " I want to see if we could form the basis for a  
relationship between the two teams. I think that we can both  
offer the other a great deal of help."  
" Relationship?" Haruka questioned him, a hint of sarcasm  
in her voice. " With the Inner Senshi?"  
" Haruka," the cat said, the anguish clear in his  
voice. " Don't do this to yourselves; it's just a lot of  
unnecessary pain. You were closer than sisters back on the  
Moon. Surely you remember that, don't you? You can't stay  
alone forever. You can have that bond, that closeness, with  
them again. They aren't your enemy just because their beliefs  
are a little different."  
" Different, Artemis? Giving up is not just a ' difference  
of beliefs'. I don't believe in victory through surrender," she  
snapped at him, her voice rising slightly.  
" Haruka is right," the other woman said, her voice  
still the same, but her anger was in her eyes. " She gave up  
and surrendered the grail to Mistress 9, and if it wasn't  
for Hotaru, we'd all be dead right now. She got lucky. We're  
grateful to her, but we can't work like that, Artemis. We've  
given up too much to surrender and hope it works out for the  
best."  
He sighed and waited a few moments to gather his thoughts  
and let them cool off a little. He'd have to be very careful in  
his choice of words here. After looking at one, and then the  
other, he responded.  
" That's one of the main reasons I'm here. I want your  
help in showing her that there is a different way of doing  
things. Your presence alone can do that. She may not like your  
approach, but at least there will be another viewpoint for her  
to see."  
" Can't one of the others do this, Artemis?" Haruka said  
after a few moments. Her voice had softened somewhat again, and  
he could see she was relaxing and considering his words, as was  
Michiru. " We'll hold to our vow, Artemis. We'll protect her.  
There's no question about that. What about Luna? Usagi will  
listen to her, won't she?"  
" I'm afraid she won't listen, even if I could get Luna's  
help. She won't hurt the princess, and this may end up being  
painful for her. I had hoped Minako could do it, since Usagi  
still looks up to her for being Sailor V."  
" Minako?" interjected Haruka, clearly surprised. " She's  
as gentle as Usagi."  
" I'm sorry, Haruka," Michiru said, looking at her partner,  
and then at the cat, who seemed to be bothered by bringing this  
part up. " I don't agree with you on that. She's been doing  
this on her own for some time now. She's not a lamb, but she's  
not a wolf, either. Why are you doubting her, Artemis?"  
Artemis sighed again, and when he spoke, his voice was  
sad.  
" You're too perceptive, Michiru. Some days, I think  
that the mirror is rubbing off on you. It hurts me to think  
of it, but I've started wondering if she's lost that edge  
she had when she was Sailor V. I thought that she could be  
the contrast that Usagi needs around her, but it's like she's  
been someone else ever since she meet the others."  
The cat stopped to compose himself, as his voice had  
thickened slightly while he spoke of his charge. The two  
woman looked at each other, and then excused themselves for  
a few minutes. He lay down to await their return, stretching  
his paws out in front of him, sitting still and regal enough  
to be a replica of the British lions he had seen all those  
many years ago in Trafalgar Square, when it was a simpler  
time. All he had known at that time was the driving need that  
he couldn't yet understand, and it was the only thing that  
had guided him.  
In the small kitchen, the two woman spoke while running  
the espresso machine to cover their conversation from the  
sharp ears of their guest.  
" What do you think, Haruka?"  
" He's right, I think. She needs us around, Michiru.  
And,..." the taller one's voice trailed off as she lost  
herself in thought while getting a pair of cups and three  
saucers. The other, sensing the pause and some unease, came  
over to put her hand on the other's shoulder to comfort her  
friend.  
" And what?" she said softly.  
" I miss it, Michiru. Remember what it was like, back  
on the moon? I miss that sense of belonging we had. They're  
more like our sisters than if they were our own blood  
relatives. I'd like to feel that again, if you would also."  
" What about all those times where you said that I  
was the only person that you ever needed, hmmhhh?" she  
replied in a sweet, dangerous tone of voice. She kept her  
face straight for a few more moments to tease Haruka before  
they both smiled and laughed together. She finished putting  
the service onto the tray while Haruka poured a cup of  
cappuccino and one of espresso. She still couldn't drink  
the thick, heavy brew that Haruka preferred.  
" I think it would be a good idea, Haruka. I'm afraid  
that most of it still isn't very clear, but I do miss that  
feeling of belonging. That's a good name for it. Shall we  
tell him?"  
They went back into the conservatory, with Michiru  
carrying the tray with the drinks. She set it down on a table  
in the far corner, near a pair of couches. They sat down, and  
after she poured some cream into hers, the rest in the small  
silver pitcher went into the third saucer, which she put out  
on the table for their guest.  
" I think we can agree to this, Artemis, although we'll  
still have to discuss it with Setsuna. I don't know if she'll  
have any objections, so it's tentative for now."  
The cat rose, stretched hard enough to shake, and went  
from the piano to a couch to the table in two easy leaps and  
settled down in front of the saucer. He took a few quick laps  
at the liquid, and then sat up, licking his whiskers briefly.  
" I don't think that she will have any problems, nor do  
I think that Hotaru will either. Both will be glad of the  
opportunity to see Chibi-usa more, and Hotaru has started  
spending some time with Usagi as well. They aren't the ones  
that I was worried about."  
Haruka grinned ruefully at his summary.  
" That's sound thinking, kitty. What else can you  
offer, besides the company?"  
" Well," he said, taking another lick of cream. " We  
can also help with your watch over Hotaru. I still spend a  
lot of time near Usagi and Chibi-usa, and every time I've  
seen them with Hotaru, I've seen one of the three of you  
lurking around somewhere. We can help keep an eye on her,  
since you're still so worried about her."  
Michiru was quiet for a moment, considering the  
implications, but she also saw an opening in his remark  
to tease him in return for his recognizing their  
surveillance. She got a little gleam in her eyes that  
Haruka noticed and smiled at seeing, as she wasn't going  
to be the target.  
" Don't you mean spending time with Luna, Artemis?" she  
said in a sweet tone of voice, enjoying the blush that hit  
his nose and ears, turning them an even darker pink.  
They had a good-natured laugh at his expense, which he  
suffered in relative silence as he lapped up more of  
the cream.  
" It has certainly been a change in our relationship,"  
he said when they stopped their laughter. " Now that we know  
we are going to have a child some day, it certainly has been  
different with Luna. I guess it's sort of like what Usagi  
and Mamoru have gone through, in some ways, with Chibi-usa.  
" That's enough about me, however. The world won't  
end due to how she and I are getting along. I'd like you  
to tell me how it's been going with Hotaru, right after I  
amend our little agreement."  
" Amend?" Michiru questioned him.  
" Yes. I want to add a clause where you give Minako  
lessons in how to properly care for her guardian and  
mentor. I could get used to that cream every night."  
  
*******************************************************  
  
He exhaled loudly, allowing the weight to come down  
to just above his chest. Only three more. Gathering  
himself for the effort, he slowly and deeply inhaled, and  
somehow managed to force his arms straight. They trembled  
from the effort, but they stayed there.  
Two more. The weight came down, the bar touching  
his chest this time. He was keenly aware of the weight,  
this time. C'mon, he yelled at himself. It's only two  
more. You've done ten already. What's another two? Once  
again, although it felt more like his mind had lifted it  
rather than his arms, he raised the bar again.  
This time, the bar struck his chest on the way down  
before he could stop it. The green shirt he wore left a  
mark on the bar from his sweat, and from somewhere, he  
found the strength to push the bar up enough to afford  
him the extra breaths he needed.  
One more. Only one more. Teeth clenched, he focused  
himself on the bar. That was the only thing in his world  
right now. Just the bar, and the need to raise it one more  
time. Snarling at himself, and the shape he was in compared  
to where he should have been, he prepared for one more. The  
strain in his arms and chest was bad, but nothing compared  
to the strain on his heart. There was no way he'd fail her  
by not protecting her, he had decided. Never again.  
Another inhale, long, slow and steady. At the end of  
it, his whole being went into lifting the weight with a  
soft cry of rage. It moved up just a little bit, and he  
redoubled his efforts, closing his eyes to help him focus  
on this one thing. Again, unbidden, the image came to him,  
that of his Usagi standing up against the attack by  
Nephrenia as bolt after bolt of blackness slammed into her  
when all he could do was sit there and watch.  
To his surprise, his elbows were locked, and he was  
done for the day. He relaxed a little at the thought, and  
the bar, still slippery from his perspiration, slid from  
his grasp. He didn't even have time to do anything, even if  
his overworked muscles could-  
" I've got it!" a voice rang out behind him, grunting  
at the end from the pressure of catching the bar before it  
hit him. He focused his eyes and let himself acknowledge the  
rest of the gym around him.  
" Makoto!" he said in surprise, looking up at the girl  
who stood over him, the muscles and tendons standing out on  
her arms and shoulders. A lock of brown hair, one of the ones  
at her temple that wasn't caught back in her ponytail, was  
brushing back and forth across his face. Realizing his  
predicament, he quickly slithered out from underneath the  
weight, which she let fall on the bench.  
He turned to look at the tall girl, and realized that  
she was slow in straightening up from the bent-over position  
that she had been in.  
" Makoto, are you all right?" he said, his voice full  
of concern. She'd saved him from serious injury there, if  
not his life. He silently cursed himself for his stupidity.  
" I think so, Mamoru. I did feel a little twinge,  
though. Fortunately, it doesn't feel too bad, but that's  
it for today for me." She looked around to see if anybody  
was close to them, and when she decided they weren't, she  
turned the full force of the anger she was feeling on him.  
" What were you doing?!?" she hissed at him. " You could  
have been killed pushing yourself like that. That's way over  
your normal weight."  
He hung his head for a moment, and then sheepishly met  
her gaze.  
" You were right, Makoto. I was wrong to do that."  
Surprised by his agreement that he was in error, Makoto  
realized that something serious had to be bothering him. This  
wasn't like him at all. Normally, he was careful to a fault,  
and had even scaled back his motorcycle driving because Usagi  
had been worried about him.  
" Do you want to talk about it, Mamoru?" she asked  
quietly. He looked like he needed it, she thought. At his nod,  
she continued. " O.K., then. The sauna in ten minutes, you  
pick up the juice today."  
They parted, and he went to the locker room to shower  
off and put on a pair of swimming trunks. After draping a  
white towel around his neck, he went to the juice bar that  
was the latest addition to this athletic club. It was tricky,  
balancing a pitcher of apple juice and two glasses, but he  
managed to carry them, open the door and sit down in the  
sauna without mishap.  
The pitcher and glasses were both made of plastic,  
with a reservoir of liquid inside that, when allowed to  
freeze, did a far better job than ice at cooling a drink.  
When he poured himself a glass, as the heat and steam began  
to make him sweat, the juice turned briefly into a slush in  
the glass. He squinted as the door opened, allowing light to  
spill into the dimly lit, wooden paneled room.  
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness again, he saw  
Makoto take a dipperful of water from a pail by the heated  
rocks and pour it on them, sending steam billowing up into  
the air. All she wore was a towel wrapped around her, to his  
consternation. This might be a short conversation, followed  
by a quick exit.  
She must have seen a funny look on his face, for she  
burst into gentle laughter as she approached him and sat  
down on the bench near him.  
" Please, Mamoru, don't think anything like that. Usagi-chan  
is like a little sister to me, and I would never do anything to  
hurt her." She reached up and took off the towel, revealing, to  
his relief, a green one-piece with a bit of pink ribbon on the  
thankfully high neckline.  
" That's a real... original choice of colors, Makoto,"  
he said with a smile as he poured her a glass, which she  
accepted and drank from. " Of course, I'm not doing much  
better," he laughed, indicating the black trunks he wore  
and the white towel he brought with him.  
" You know," he said after a moment, still smiling. " If  
you're not going to act like that, then I must not remind you  
of your old boyfriend anymore."  
"Mamoru!" she giggled, and flicked some of the  
condensation on her glass at him, the cool water a brief  
shock to his skin. She was right, however. He did feel like  
he could be comfortable with her here, just like she was  
indeed Usagi's sister.  
" I didn't know you were a member here, Makoto," he  
continued after a drink. " I haven't seen you around here  
before."  
" Ami's mom is a member here, and Ami comes down to  
use the pool. She's up in the pool right now, swimming  
laps. I came as a guest of hers today."  
" Ami's here? Should we invite her to join us?"  
Makoto found this to be incredibly funny, to his  
surprise, and barely kept herself from laughing out loud.  
" Ami won't come in here. She couldn't sneak in a  
book, because the steam is bad for them." she finally said  
when she caught her breath. " Now, I've got a valid reason  
for being here. I've been working out more ever since loosing  
that fight I had with Uranus, just after we first started  
encountering the daemon eggs. What's your excuse for trying  
to kill yourself?"  
He sighed deeply, and drank from the glass, as if trying  
to work up the nerve to speak about this.  
" I started really pushing it after this last encounter  
with Queen Nephrenia. I wasn't there to protect her, like I  
usually am. I just was left feeling... inadequate after that  
fight against her. Usagi was so strong, standing up against  
her like that, and all I could do was sit there and watch her  
get hurt."  
" Mamoru, that wasn't your fault. She had bewitched  
your mind. She captured all the Senshi. It's not like you're  
the only one who failed. We all did, as much as I hate to  
say it. Don't blame it all on yourself."  
" I know, Makoto. But, what if the next time isn't  
like that? What if it's something that I could have stopped  
if I had done a better job of preparation? What if I fail  
her again?"  
" You're getting paranoid, Mamoru. Putting on all that  
muscle isn't going to help you in this. You're tall and lean,  
and if you try to bulk up it will just slow you down. That's  
just one thing that you will have to accept. You can't change  
your body like that."  
" What do you suggest I do, Makoto?" he said, taking  
another drink.  
" Learn to live with it, Mamoru. You can't change much  
about what kind of body you have. I've just about given up  
being able to buy anything off the rack in most of the styles  
I like. I'm too tall for most of the brands to fit me well."  
" I'm not just concerned about what shape I'm in."  
" I know. As to the other things, well... " her voice  
trailed off. She was quiet for a few minutes, and he could  
tell she was thinking about his question.  
" Back when we first found out who we were, Mamoru,  
it was a real shock to all of us. We dealt with it in  
different ways. I was having a real tough time with it one  
night, so I went to Rei-chan's to ask her about it. This  
was just after Minako had found us, so I ended up talking  
with them about it that night because she was at Rei's.  
" The reason why I'm saying this is because I have a  
question that I want you to think about. Rei asked me this  
same one. Who are you?"  
" Who am I," he said in surprise. He laughed at the  
question. " Makoto, that's not a hard question. I'm Mamoru  
Chiba."  
He could make out her features when she turned towards  
him, the glow from the rocks illuminating her face and  
showing the disappointment there.  
" Are you really just Mamoru Chiba? Is that who you  
really are?"  
He opened his mouth to defend his answer, and the  
words died on his lips. He wasn't just Mamoru. Come to  
think of it, it was pretty crowded up in his mind.  
" I think I see your point, Makoto."  
" Rei saw my problem right away. She didn't have  
any problem understanding this new side of herself. She  
accepted it right away, just as easily as if she had found  
out she liked a new kind of food. Minako told me she had  
the same kind of problem that I did when she first learned  
who she was. She said it was a problem until she decided it  
was just too big for her to deal with and she accepted it.  
" After that, after I accepted the fact that I wasn't  
just Makoto Kino, but also Sailor Jupiter, it went a lot  
easier for me. I had tried to keep myself as two 'different'  
people, but that isn't true. I'm one person."  
She paused to refill her glass, and he could see that  
she was correct. He had been too many people, and he was  
trying to keep them apart from each other.  
" I think that you're right, Makoto. I've been holding  
onto Mamoru Chiba just a little too hard. I don't know why,  
since I don't even know if it's really my name here. How  
should I go about convincing myself that I'm Endymion?"  
She smiled back at him before responding.  
" You just started, your majesty. According to our  
priestess-in-training, acknowledging that there is a problem  
is the first step. I think that all you have to do is be  
yourself, but also, remember that one thing. Remember who  
you really are.  
" You've protected her this far, Mamoru. I think that  
you'll get the rest of the way without any problems. All the  
princess wants is for you to love her. After that, she'll be  
all right."  
" Thank you, Makot... Mako-chan. I think that this will  
help." He reached out, draping his arm around her shoulders  
and gave her a brief, friendly squeeze. " I already feel  
better just by talking about it. I was letting all these  
things get to me."  
" Do you promise not to kill yourself out there?"  
" Yes, I promise."  
" Good. My fee for counseling services and saving  
your life out there is a back rub, since I'm just starting  
to loosen up from the heat. Usagi says you're pretty good  
at them."  
He chuckled as she turned to face away from him and  
he started working over her shoulders. The muscles there  
were tight, but they quickly relaxed as he worked down her  
back, taking the extra time and effort to loosed one knotted  
muscle that she must have gotten today as she caught the  
bar he had dropped.  
" You are pretty good," she said, sighing as he worked  
out some of the pain she felt. " It's no wonder she likes  
them. I think I just may have to have you do this on a  
regular basis."  
" And why would I be doing it on a regular basis,  
Makoto? I did promise that I'd take it easy out there. I  
won't need a rescue every day."  
" I could tell her about this."  
" Makoto, that's not a very nice thing to threaten  
me with." he replied, grinning at the picture his Usako's  
face would make if she saw this. " Since you just might  
decide to have me killed, can I make one final request of  
my executioner?"  
" What, a request for a last meal if she does try to  
kill you?"  
" No, Makoto, although it's a good thought. I was  
wondering, since you've taken some martial arts classes, if  
you know of any instructors who will give lessons in a  
European style sword. I've tried looking around here, but  
I haven't had any luck."  
I'm sorry, Mamoru," she said, turning around to face  
him again now that he was done. " I don't know any for that  
style. There are kendo masters all over the place, but I  
don't think anyone would want to study that style around  
here. Why do you ask?"  
" One of my costumes comes with one as standard  
equipment. I wanted to find someone to study under, or at  
least practice with. Do you know anyone who might be able  
to give me a lead?"  
" I'd suggest Rei's grandfather, as he knows a lot of  
the old masters around here, and he could probably point you  
in the right direction. It's a long shot, but you could also  
try Umino at our school. He knows a lot about anything that's  
unusual or different, and he was talking to Usagi last year  
about these people who dress up in armor like they did in  
Europe in the 'Dark Ages', from what I gathered as she  
complained to me about it as she stole my lunch."  
" She stole your lunch? That doesn't sound like her.  
Doesn't she bring her own?"  
" Well, not really stole. She eats her own by the first  
break, usually. I've gotten used to her doing it, so I always  
put together an extra couple of bento to take with me for  
when she shows up at lunch. I have one, and she usually  
finishes the others. "  
" Now that sounds like Usagi."  
  
********************************************************  
  
The being stirred to awareness as it floated in the  
perpetual darkness that was the only thing it had known for  
what seemed to be so long. There was no way to record the  
passage of time, so it could have been millennia or minutes  
since it had last been fully alive. It knew that it was  
probably more than minutes, however, as the process that  
was bringing him back to life would not be a quick one.  
Him was correct, he decided after considering the  
problem of his identity for several minutes, or hours, or  
years. He didn't know, and there was no business in driving  
himself mad, if he wasn't already, by trying to keep track  
of time here. If he could see his beloved stars here in this  
prison, he could see what had been happening.  
The same stars had told him of the possibility of his  
death, and he had prepared for the eventuality. As long as  
the stone that was buried deep underneath his stronghold was  
not disturbed, he would live again at some point. He had  
safely tucked away a small portion of energy that would power  
the spell of return that was now bringing him back.  
Time passed, and he became aware of something hastening  
the process. Something or someone was adding energy to his  
spell. His bet was on someone. Energy like this wasn't natural,  
like the power of the stars. It galled him to think of using  
energy from this source, as it had the taint of blood magic,  
but he didn't have a choice. It was this or wait for the  
additional time for his spell to work, and he had been here  
for what seemed so, so long.  
At this rate, he would return in a very short period  
of time. It was a gamble, but he let loose the spell that  
he had cast, and trusted this new energy to revive him. This  
way, the source for his spell would not be drained anymore  
by him, nor would this new source have anyway to track her.  
He owed her that much, at least.  
His memories weren't very clear about the manner of his  
death, but there was one thing that he remembered very clearly.  
It was the one memory that he had clung to in order to keep  
his sanity in the blackness. He could still remember her  
red-brown hair, her blue eyes, and the look of grief on her  
face that tugged at his heart.  
  
**********************************************************  
  
The walk down to a street where he could flag down a  
taxi gave him a few minutes to consider the final pieces of  
his plans. After getting in the car and giving an address  
to an apartment building, he sat back and looked around  
him at the city for the first time today. On his earlier  
ride to the cathedral, he had been thinking of possible  
changes that could be the result of what he would learn at  
that place, and the sights of the city had gone past him,  
unnoticed.  
He stepped out in front of a luxurious high-rise in  
a fashionable area when the driver finally reached his  
destination. Aside from the traffic, this was much like  
any of the large cities in Europe, but the people were  
much friendlier. If there was anything left of the place  
after the events he sent in motion, he'd consider getting  
a residence here.  
Gabriel was certainly doing well for himself, he thought  
as he went into the lobby and took a lift to the top floor.  
'Lift', he smiled to himself. He'd just spent several weeks  
in England, and he had picked up some of the slang.  
As the doors opened at the top, he could hear the  
blaring noise that composed the music that Gabriel preferred.  
It was either an American or British band, from what he could  
make out of the singing, and the style was distinctively  
heavy metal, although the singer's references to heaven and  
hell were ironical if you considered the resident of this  
penthouse suite. Gabriel looked like a denizen of the former,  
although he had morals that were solely the province of the  
latter.  
He opened the door with a key that had been sent to  
him previously, and winced at the sudden increase in the  
volume. Fortunately, the source of the music was close at  
hand, and he reached over to turn down the volume on the  
sound system.  
" Hi, Boss!" a young man said as he came out to  
investigate the change while wiping clay from his  
hands. " How are you, today? I'd shake, but..." he glanced  
down at his hands and shrugged his shoulders.  
" Hello, Gabriel. How has your progress been?"  
The young man grinned, one of those movie star quality  
smiles that lit up a room like the sun. He motioned for the  
older man to follow him into another room, this one clearly  
an artisan's workplace.  
" They're almost complete," he said, indicating a  
shelf with a dozen squat figures on it. " I just put the  
finishing touches on the last batch and put them in the  
kiln. Those should be ready for the painting and touch-up  
work tomorrow, assuming that the crystals took properly. The  
first one, the initial test, is working fine."  
" That's good, Gabriel, but did you have to use the  
David as your model?" Jason asked with a grin. " You're  
still the best I've seen at golems for a century. I'm sure  
that the crystals won't give us any problems. What about the  
other matter I mentioned?"  
" I've been investigating the new group," the younger  
man said while washing the clay from his hands and drying  
them on a towel. " I haven't gotten much until just  
recently, but it turns out I met one of them a few weeks  
ago."  
" That can be dangerous, Gabriel. We don't know  
much of them or their abilities or plans. That's why we're  
doing this," Jason said, frowning slightly as they returned  
to the spacious living room. Gabriel led him to an  
astronomical telescope that was near one of the large  
windows by a balcony. There was a motorized control  
system rigged to it that had three default locations by  
the tracking controls for the gears that controlled the  
movements of the reflecting telescope.  
" I know, Boss. I haven't used anything more  
powerful than a cantrip outside of the shields that  
you put up in here, and even then I go to at least  
about a 100 kilometers out of the area before using  
anything that isn't an absolute emergency. I'm following  
your orders to the letter. I do remember what happened to  
Marcus, after all.  
" Her name here is Michiru Kaioh. She's a painter,  
among other things. Quite good, as well. She plays the  
violin, also well, and the envelope on the hall table has  
two tickets for a performance tonight. Keep an eye out for  
a blonde following her around. I think that she may be  
one of the others, but I haven't been able to confirm it  
as of yet.  
" Do you see those three skyscrapers by the waterfront?"  
he questioned the other, and continued after getting a  
nod. " They are part of the Mugen Project, a recently  
built combination business and housing project that was  
built on reclaimed land and finished about four years  
ago. There used to be a school called the Infinity  
Academy at the center of those three. It was part of a  
high school complex there, but the academy was for the  
privileged students among the children in the project.  
The academy building itself was the center of the  
disturbance several months ago and was destroyed.  
" The three settings are for three units, one in  
each tower. I've spotted her at the third unit a few  
times in the last several weeks, so I'd say they're  
moving back into this area. I haven't been able to determine  
if that's a real name or not, by the way. Michiru Kaioh  
was the name on her paintings at a show, however. The  
rental records and what I have access to on the government  
files don't have anything on her."  
The older man mused on this for several minutes  
while using the telescope to look at each unit in turn.  
He turned and took a seat on an overstuffed gray couch  
that blended well with the rest of the decor.  
" Please get some tea, Gabriel. Oolong, If you  
have a good one. This needs some thinking. Obviously,  
they're pretty good." The younger man nodded and went  
to start brewing some. When he returned several minutes  
later, Jason was in the same position as he was when he  
left. Someday, he'd manage to reach that same inhuman  
level of concentration that the Archmage did.  
" Do you mind a question, Boss?" he ventured as  
he poured two cups of the steaming liquid. " I can  
understand the level of caution due to the new threat,  
but why the business with these golems? The first group  
has been relatively powerful, but they aren't that tough  
from what I've seen."  
" Thank you, Gabriel," Jason said while taking a  
sip. He didn't use a spell to determine if it was poisoned.  
This was one of the few people, along with Matthew, that  
he could trust with his life. With Matthew, it was honor  
and loyalty, but Gabriel had long ago learned not to  
cross him. A week as a frog can do wonders.  
" I'm always cautious, and that's why you're  
building the golems, since we have very little on the  
second group. They're a decoy, just like the artifacts  
that the golems will be chasing. The targets will destroy  
them, but it will take them a while to do it, and those  
crystals will be sending us information all the while. Both  
groups seem to have undergone some changes recently, and  
I want to know what we're dealing with."  
" That's a lot of power to use up, Boss."  
" It's worth it for the information. By the way,  
speaking of power, the node at Stonehenge is still  
closed to us. I've spent the better part of the last  
year trying to access it, and still it refuses to allow  
a tap. Someone closed it, Gabriel. It's the only rational  
explanation. We've had to switch to utilizing blood magic  
to keep up our energy levels."  
" Don't you think that many losses might be  
noticed?"  
" No, it won't be. That's why I built the tower  
where I did. What's a few hundred more people a year  
compared to the normal amount of deaths each year in  
that part of the world? I don't like doing it this way,  
Gabriel. It's so... inefficient," he finished with a  
shudder at the crude methods that they had to employ,  
and not at the price.  
" A few hundred a year? That's an awful lot of  
energy. As I said, they're not that powerful, according  
to what I've seen around here."  
" The rest of the Inner Senshi don't bother me,  
Gabriel, but the princess does. She dealt with Beryl  
and Metallia, so we need to be careful."  
" From what I recall of the records, those two  
were also banished at the time of the fall of the Moon  
Kingdom. I've summoned a few demons, Boss. They aren't  
that difficult to banish. Once Metallia was out of the  
picture, Beryl would have been pretty easy to deal with."  
" Metallia wasn't banished, Gabriel. You know how  
easy it is to break the spell that forces a demon to  
this plane. The princess destroyed all traces of Metallia,  
even on the infernal planes. She is permanently gone."  
A low whistle escaped from the younger man, a  
sure sign of his surprise. He took a drink of the now  
cooled tea to cover his embarrassment at his reaction.  
" Gone? Now I understand the need for caution.  
Jesus, the amount of energy needed to do something  
like that would be staggering."  
They were both quiet for several more minutes,  
with the younger man letting this new information sink  
in.  
" Jason," the younger man started to speak. The  
use of his given name and not the familiar title was a  
sure sign that he was affected by this revelation. " If  
the records aren't accurate in what happened to Metallia,  
what else isn't correct in them about this? How did Beryl  
manage to control her? You never mentioned her having  
that kind of power."  
" She had the power, Gabriel, but not the  
concentration and the training. I had saved her from  
being killed by the Atlanteans in order to use her as  
a pawn to take over Atlantis. She was infatuated with  
the prince of that land, and he had rejected her.  
" I showed her how to affect the political situation  
there in order to soften them up as part of my campaign  
against the Moon Kingdom. I had been training her in some  
of the basic spells, but there was nothing about  
demonology in her lessons. Somehow, she got into my  
study, got into my records, and attracted the attention  
of Metallia."  
" She was no slouch as demons go. How did Beryl  
do it?"  
" I don't think that Beryl summoned her, Gabriel.  
I think that Metallia took her over, or offered her a  
deal, and jumped the gun in order to have a go at the  
crystal. You know what that kind of power would mean to  
a demon?"  
" Yes, I do. She'd be crazy not to try. With the  
crystal, she would have been able to control the infernal  
planes. Why were the records false?"  
" I don't like mentioning that I got caught with my  
pants down that day, Gabriel. I thought I had everything  
in control, and the next thing I know, Beryl has all my  
armies in motion, sacks Atlantis and then hits the moon. I  
spent years getting that final strike ready for my attack.  
" Queen Serenity saved me that day. I had almost all  
of my resources tied up in moving the troops and readying  
the sacrifice spells. If Metallia had succeeded, I don't  
think I could have withstood her if she also had the crystal.  
The whole planet would be dead if it wasn't for Serenity  
sealing away Beryl and Metallia."  
" I can see why you don't want that in there, Boss.  
The apprentices would get awfully eager to try their hand  
against you if they read that you failed somewhere."  
" I know, Gabriel. I know all too well. I was so  
close to it that I could almost feel the crystal in my  
grasp. If Beryl hadn't done that, I would have been able  
to keep Queen Serenity from using the crystal for her  
defense. The rest would have been a simple matter of  
numbers. Her Guard and the Sailor Senshi would have taken  
out most of my troops, but the numbers would have prevailed  
in the end."  
" I thought the crystal was tied into their line,  
Boss? Doesn't it take a person with royal blood to use it?"  
" That's their propaganda, Gabriel. I was one of the  
members of the group that cast the original spell that  
created the crystal. My access to it is at least the equal  
of the royal bloodline, if not greater. I would have been  
able to keep her from doing anything constructive, and that  
would remove most of their defenses."  
" You were close, all right. I don't see how it could  
have gone wrong, except for Beryl and her interference."  
" You're right, Gabriel, It would have been mine, but  
that's the way it goes, sometimes. You can't sit around and  
wish it turned out some other way. ' If wishes were  
fishes...'," he said, bringing up part of an old  
saying. " Anyway, I had better get moving if I want  
to make it to that concert on time. I'll be in touch,  
Gabriel."  
  
*****************************************************  
  
" Hi, Rei-chan!" Usagi cried out as she came up the steps  
and saw her friend in the courtyard. She tried to sound cheerful,  
but her heart just wasn't in it at this hour of the morning.  
" Good morning, Usagi-chan. Are you sure you still want  
  
to try this?" the dark haired girl replied, smiling at the  
sight her friend made. Usagi was not a morning person.  
" Yes, but why does it have to be so early?"  
" That's the only time the grounds are clear. In a few  
hours, when we open up, there will be people up here, and it  
would be too dangerous." She motioned towards the short skirt  
and blouse her friend wore.  
" That won't do, Usagi. If a string breaks, it'll hurt  
if you're not wearing something heavier. I have one of my  
sets of robes on my bed in my room that should fit you. Go  
change into it and meet me around the back. I'll get the  
things set up."  
Usagi left to comply with her request with a yawn and  
without any protests. She'd have to remember this tactic if  
there was going to be an important argument in the near  
future. She went to the storage shed and pulled open the  
doors. They still dragged at one point, and she's have to  
remind her grandfather to fix it again.  
The hay bales were already in place, as she had been  
practicing for a while now, ever since she found out what  
her most recent attack was. It only took a few moments to  
set up the targets, and the bright colors contrasted well  
with the drab brown-gray of the small hill behind the  
temple. It made for a very effective backstop.  
Usagi stumbled out the back door and made her way over. Rei  
took one look at her hair and pulled a red ribbon out of the bag  
she had put there earlier this morning, along with a can of milk  
tea and a straw.  
" Here, drink this. It will help get you going," Rei said  
as she undid the odango her friend wore and began to put her  
hair in a loose braid.  
" Rei," Usagi began to protest, but gave up as her long  
hair showered down around her. " Now I'll have to put it up  
again later... Oohhh, the tea is still hot, Rei-chan. That's  
just how I like it. Thank you for remembering."  
After she finished, Rei took a long, black plastic case  
out of the shed and opened it up. Usagi came around behind  
her, curious at what was in the case. It was about six feet  
long, and had black foam rubber inside of it to protect the  
contents.  
" Here's the one that I'll start you on, Usagi," she  
said, taking a relatively short, light weight bow from one  
of several there. " It doesn't have too heavy of a pull, so  
you should be fine."  
She slung the strap of the quiver around her shoulder  
and flipped her braided hair to the side to avoid entangling  
it. It had a score of arrows that were for the bow she had  
chosen inside of it. Beckoning Usagi closer, she started to  
explain it.  
" This is a recurve style bow. The ones with all the  
cables and pulleys, like that one there, are called compound  
bows. You hold onto it with your left hand here, and the right  
hand pulls back the string. I'm left handed at this, so  
remember that when I show you something." Rei handed it  
to the blonde so she could get used to the feel, while she  
took the string out of the case.  
" Now, it's tough to string one of these, Usagi, so  
let me do it," she said, taking the bow and hooking the  
bottom limb around her leg while holding onto the string.  
With a grunt, she leaned against the top limb and forced  
it back, in the opposite direction that Usagi had thought  
it would go, and slipped the loop on the string into the  
notches at the top.  
" That's why it's called a recurve, because you bend  
it back like that. The other type is called a longbow. That's  
the type you see in the old Robin Hood movies, like the one  
with Errol Flynn."  
" Oh, I loved that movie, Rei-chan. Wasn't he just so  
dreamy?"  
Rei laughed in response, not at her friend's tastes,  
but at the far-away look that was suddenly in Usagi's eyes.  
The actor was certainly handsome, she had thought when she  
first saw that movie.  
" That's off the point, Usagi-chan. Now, here's how  
you hold the arrow and nock it," she said, showing her as  
she spoke. " To aim it, just look down the shaft for now.  
You'll learn how to do the rest of it as you go on. Just yourself relax and shoot."  
Usagi took a breath, and pulled back the string. As  
Rei had said, it wasn't too hard, so it went easier than  
she thought it would. On her first attempt, she decided  
that just getting it to the target would be good enough.  
Rei had been in a good mood so far, so she probably wouldn't  
tease her too much when she missed. There, that felt right.  
She released the string.  
" Rei, you're going to catch a fly like that," she  
said, a little bit of the whine coming into her voice. It  
must have been awfully bad for her to react like that as  
she looked at the target through a small pair of binoculars.  
She couldn't even make out the arrow.  
" Usagi, what were you aiming at?" the girl said  
softly.  
" The center one. Did I kill the hill or something?"  
Rei took the glasses away from her eyes, and the  
look on her face was one of surprise, and not scorn.  
" Bulls-eye, Usagi-chan. Dead center."  
  
*******************************************************  
  
He had just pulled to a stop, turned off the engine  
and taken off his helmet when a joyous shriek echoed  
through the air. Several birds, startled by the sounds,  
took to the sky in protest and flew away to the south.  
He still couldn't figure out what it was, but it was in  
the direction of the temple, so he took off at a quick  
walk.  
The parking space he used was a few blocks away from  
his destination, in order to not disturb the tranquillity  
of the region this early in the morning. There were several  
small shrines in the area, and he tried to be considerate  
of the worshippers there. He wasn't very religious, himself,  
but he respected those who were. The sound of prayers and  
chants were just audible as a buzz in the background.  
The sound still had not been repeated, so he had pushed  
it from his mind as he came to the base of the stairs and  
started up. Hopefully, this would solve one of his problems.  
Unfortunately, this was one of his easier ones. The courtyard  
was deserted, but he could just make out a pair of voices to  
the rear of the building.  
" Watch it, Rei! I'll just have to beat you again if  
you hit the bulls-eye!"  
A soft, twanging sound was heard, followed by a  
muffled thump and a sharp, victorious exclamation.  
" Top that, Usagi-chan!"  
" All right, watch this one."  
Another twanging sound, sharper this time, and  
it was followed by a wail of grief.  
" You know the rules. You get to recover the  
arrows. Start walking, girl."  
As he rounded the corner, he could see Usagi at  
the back of the property, right by the small hill at  
the back. Rei was putting down a complex looking compound  
bow on a portable table by a shed. The girls both wore the  
traditional robes that Rei usually wore at the temple.  
" Hi, Mamoru." she said, smiling at him.  
" Good morning, Rei," he replied, bowing slightly. " I  
knew you had gotten into archery, but I'm surprised at your  
partner."  
" It's part of my training, both with my grandfather  
and being one of the Senshi. I've been doing it every  
morning since we got our new attacks. It really helps me"  
He turned and waved at the blonde girl in response  
to her happy greeting at seeing him. Rei looked downrange  
to make sure Usagi was still at the other end before  
speaking again, this time in a serious voice.  
" It's sort of scary, Mamoru. She's amazing at this  
if she doesn't concentrate on what she is doing. If she  
thinks about it, she'll miss, but every shot were she just  
shoots without concentrating on the act of shooting is a  
perfect bulls-eye."  
" Huh?" he responded, shocked at what he had heard. He  
would have continued,  
but Usagi came running up with a handful of arrows.  
" Mamo-chan! Mamo-chan!" she cried as she rushed into  
his arms for a hug.  
" Good morning, Usako," he replied, giving her a quick  
kiss and letting go of her. He didn't feel too comfortable  
carrying on like this in front of Rei, as he knew she had  
been enamored of him for a while and he didn't want to bring  
up any painful memories for the girl. He had liked her well  
enough, and still did, but not in the way she had wanted.  
" I was beating Rei, Mamo-chan," she said excitedly.  
" You were not beating me, Usagi," the other girl  
replied. " You hit the bulls-eye more often than I did,  
but none of your other shots hit anything but the hill. I  
was always right by the center if I didn't hit it. I have  
more points."  
" Hold it," Mamoru interjected, hoping to avoid  
another friendly argument between the two girls. " How  
about you two getting changed and we do breakfast, my treat?"  
They both agreed and ran off to clean up and change.  
He went to the front steps and sat down to think about the  
package that had been delivered to him last night. The  
letter was in his pocket, and while the words were innocent  
enough, the motivations concerned him. It was just a set of  
seven tickets for a concert tomorrow night, along with a  
dinner invitation for the group. Why were they back? What  
did they want this time?  
  
*********************************************************  
  
" A thirteen year-old!" the girl exclaimed in disgust  
as she stormed into the main sitting room of the suite she  
shared with the room's other occupant, who was reading a  
book while curled up on the sofa in a corner. " I was  
already thirteen once, Setsuna. I don't want to have to go  
through it again. He even said I was short for my age."  
The woman put a marker in the book and gently put it  
down on the glass coffee table in front of the couch. It  
was an edition of the book that was far too valuable to  
not treat it carefully. She turned to face the younger girl,  
who was pacing back and forth, her blue-black hair swinging  
around just above her shoulders at each turn.  
" I assume that you didn't like what the doctor had  
to say, Hotaru-chan. Why don't you sit down and we'll talk  
about it, all right?"  
" I don't want to talk about it, Setsuna. I want to  
change it," the girl said as she flopped down onto a chair. " It's  
not fair. I'm going to have to go through everything all over.  
I'm probably even going to be short again. Haruka's tall, you're  
tall, Michiru is relatively tall, and I'm stuck being the  
shrimp. God, I'm even acting like a petulant thirteen year-old,  
Setsuna. It's not fair."  
" I'm sorry, Hotaru-chan, but we don't really know what  
is happening with you and these changes," she said soothingly,  
trying to calm down the younger girl. " You still can't  
remember when you were first possessed, right? Maybe you've  
reached that point now. At least you're getting a second  
chance, Hotaru, and you don't have to grow up again."  
The girl was quiet for a few minutes, thinking it over.  
The anger on her face slowly cleared away, to the dark green  
haired woman's carefully hidden relief. When the girl spoke  
again, her voice had returned to it's normally calm tone.  
" I know. I just don't like the thought of going through  
growing up again. I remember everything about it, and I'm not  
looking forward to it. Is that the only doctor you need me to  
see for everything?"  
" Yes, that's the only one. I needed someone who couldn't  
be traced back to us. When we get the letter from his office,  
I'll be able to finish all the documents and you'll legally  
be Hotaru Tomoe again. I've got the information on you and  
your father ready to go, and all the accounts are set up."  
" Thank you for taking care of him, Setsuna." the girl  
said, a happy smile finally coming to her face. Hotaru didn't  
do that enough, in her opinion. " He always liked going up to  
Hokkaido in the winter when I was young, before all the  
troubles. Teaching again up there will give him the time to  
heal and get over all of this."  
" Please, Hotaru-chan, it was my pleasure. We're like  
sisters, and we're supposed to help each other out with things.  
I'm glad that he will be all right, as he's suffered as much as,  
if not more, than any of the rest of us. He was possessed for a  
very long time, but it doesn't seem to have any lasting effects."  
" I glad also, Setsuna. I haven't seen anything that would  
indicate him having problems, except the look on his face when  
he saw me all grown up again. I only saw the tears of pain  
when my mother died. I never saw him cry from being happy. "  
They shared a smile at the recent, happy memory. Professor  
Tomoe had been very shocked when the infant daughter Setsuna  
had taken away several days before walked in as a teen-ager to  
see him. She had only stayed long enough to make sure that  
they were all right, and then had left them alone so they  
could have some privacy at the convalescent hospital he had  
just been released from a few weeks ago. They had a lot of  
time to catch up on, for he had been possessed by their enemies  
when she was still quite young.  
" I'm going to make some tea, Hotaru. Would you please  
join me in having some? I'd like to discuss a few things with  
you," she asked the younger girl.  
" Certainly. No milk, though. You know how I get from  
it," the girl replied, reminding her of her intolerance with  
a wistful smile. " I wish I could drink it, though. It just  
doesn't taste right without the milk and the sugar."  
Setsuna left the room with a laugh and went into the  
kitchen to start the water boiling. She got down one of the  
silver services and a set of cups and saucers for four  
people. Michiru and Haruka would be stopping by on their way  
to Michiru's concert this evening, and there was a bottle of  
an exquisite champagne in the refrigerator for the occasion  
tonight.  
Hotaru had changed out of the school uniform while she  
made the tea, she saw when she took the tray into the sitting  
room. The young girl had worn it to the doctor's office in  
order to help alleviate any concerns he might have had at the  
unusual request to do a physical on such short notice, and on  
what could be a very unusual patient. She herself had not been  
able to find anything physically wrong with the girl, but she  
was not a trained practitioner. Fortunately, the only thing he  
had thought was unusual was the color of Hotaru's eyes, as  
dark purple was a unique color.  
The girl now wore a simple, knee length knit dress, gray  
with a black belt. Spending some time with Michiru had done  
wonders for her fashion sense and she was learning what colors  
complemented her. Setsuna went over to the table near her, set  
down the tray and took a seat next to the girl, who poured for  
both of them.  
" How have you been feeling, Hotaru-chan? Are you still  
having any of those weak spells?" she led off.  
" No, I haven't had any of those for a while. I think  
that was a consequence of my possession." The girl smiled  
briefly, took a knife from the tray, and drew it along the back  
of her arm, making a shallow cut a few inches long. A small  
amount of blood welled up in the knife's wake. She didn't even  
wince at the pain, but instead, closed her eyes in  
concentration, and the cut and the blood faded away,  
leaving her arm looking like it had never been touched.  
" I don't even get tired from healing like I used  
to," she said while she wiped off the knife, wrapped it  
in a napkin and put it on the tray.  
" That's good. How do you feel, inside? Has there  
been anything that's been bothering you?"  
The girl smiled at the question. So far, this had  
been a repeat of several different conversations she had  
with the other two. They were concerned about her, but  
sometimes the inquisition got to her.  
" I'm fine, Setsuna-mama," she said with a smile,  
teasing the woman with the pet name she had given her  
three caretakers when she was quite younger a few months  
ago.  
Setsuna laughed for several moments before speaking. The  
response from the girl had set her mind at ease, for the  
humor was a good sign.  
" I guess I deserved that," she said, still smiling  
for a few moments before getting serious. " Hotaru, I wanted  
to try and explain a few things to you, and it's going to be  
tough because you don't know some things yet. Please, just  
hear me out on this.  
" I haven't told you much of our past, and I still  
don't plan to. It's best that the memories come back to  
you on their own, which they will over time. Michiru, Haruka  
and I have a very important job to do, and sometimes it has  
to take precedence over everything we want to do. When we  
first found you, when you were still in the hands of our  
enemies, we couldn't afford to let them use your powers.  
" As Sailor Saturn, you have the power to destroy  
the world. We couldn't sit by and let them make you do  
that. Don't get mad at them... I mean us, because of this,  
but Haruka and Michiru and I were in favor of killing you  
if it came down to that. It's not because we didn't care  
for you, Hotaru, but because the consequences could be too  
high."  
" Kill me?" the girl said in a surprised tone,  
sounding much more like the little girl she was a few  
months ago. " Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa?"  
" Yes, Hotaru. We considered it. We had to consider  
it, and that decision is part of what we do and the  
dedication we have for it. They didn't want to, but they  
would have if it came to that. Fortunately, it didn't.  
After it was over, we swore an oath to raise you as if you  
were our own."  
She held up her right hand, indicating the ring she  
wore there. It was a silvery metal, set with a piece of  
polished gray stone, and it was nothing like the fine  
jewelry that Hotaru had seen them wear on many occasions.  
" These rings are a symbol of that oath. Now, you've  
gotten past the point where you need us as parents. We were  
like sisters once, a long time ago on the moon. We want you  
to be part of that again, Hotaru."  
Setsuna reached into a pocket and took out a small,  
jewel encrusted box that was pure gold, from the weight,  
and was set with a pattern of jet and amethysts on the  
top that resembled a purple ringed sphere floating in  
darkness. She placed it in Hotaru's hand, and closed her  
fingers over the box.  
" We would have done that to you because we cared  
about you, Hotaru. That's the kind of dedication that you  
need in order to be with us. You'll need to be willing to  
abandon everything if it's required, even your sisters, and  
even your life. Do you think that you can do that, Hotaru?"  
She smiled in response to the questions, as they had  
brought back some painful memories of things that she might  
have chosen to forget, but the pain reinforced her  
determination. This was what she was supposed to be doing,  
and despite the pain, she would gladly do it.  
" Yes, Setsuna. I can do that. I remember our duty.  
I've done it once already, when I stopped Pharaoh Ninety,  
and I'm ready to do it again."  
She opened the box, revealing a ring just like the  
one that Setsuna wore, and she put it on the ring finger  
of her right hand, where it fit like it was made for her.  
" I'm one of the Outer Senshi. It may not be easy,  
and I may not like it, but I will do my duty, Setsuna," she  
said with a look of determination on her face.  
The woman pulled her into a brief embrace, and she  
felt the tension that had been in her heart slip away.  
" It's good to have you back, little sister," Setsuna  
said, wiping away a tear so the girl would not see her  
crying. She gently smiled as Hotaru started to stiffen at  
her last words. She laughed, and gave her another squeeze  
before letting her go.  
" It's not a joke about your height, Hotaru. You're  
all my little sisters, really. I've been doing this for a  
long time, you know."  
" How old are you, Setsuna?" the young girl asked,  
curious to find out more about this mysterious person. She  
usually wasn't around as much as the others were.  
" Hotaru-chan, you know better than to ask a lady her  
age," she replied with a laugh. " Besides, I'd lie like  
crazy to you on that one. Let's just say the Moon Kingdom  
passed about a thousand years ago, and I'm older that ."  
Hotaru giggled at the joke, which set both of them  
off laughing again. As they finally stopped, a buzzer  
sounded to indicate that someone was on their way up from  
the garage beneath the building.  
" That must be Michiru and Haruka," the young girl  
said. " They said they'd be stopping by tonight. What else  
do you need to tell me about what we do?"  
" I'll show you the safe houses in the next few days,  
and explain the security systems to you. When I get your  
papers finished, I'll set you up with a bank account.  
There's more than enough in there to get you anything  
you need."  
" I always knew that you three were rich, Setsuna,  
but I never thought it was that much. How much do we  
have?" the girl asked.  
" How much do you need?" was Setsuna's reply.  
" That doesn't answer my question," Hotaru stated,  
her mind running to work on the possible implications  
of the cryptic answer.  
" It does answer your question, Hotaru-chan, but  
not the way you want. I've been around for a while, and  
I knew where the wealth of the Moon Kingdom was hidden  
away on Earth. I've been in real estate for a while, and  
I've been watching how cities grow for a long time. If I  
pooled everything together, we could have a good spot  
towards the top of the Forbes 500 list. Money isn't a  
concern."  
The door opened to admit the other two of the Outer  
Senshi. They were dressed up for a concert later on, and  
as Hotaru ran over to embrace them, Setsuna caught their  
eyes and nodded. After swinging Hotaru around in the air  
like she did when the girl was younger, Haruka went into  
the kitchen and returned with a bottle and four glasses  
while Michiru teased Hotaru about her new ring.  
" To our new sister!" the turquoise haired woman  
said, and they tapped their glasses together in a toast  
before drinking, and the chiming sound hung in the air as  
Hotaru laughed at the taste and the tickling sensation  
from the bubbles, but decided that she sort of liked it.  
" Let's get you two dressed," Haruka said after  
taking another sip and savoring the taste of the rare  
vintage. " We were able to swing some extra seats and  
we'll be meeting the other girls after the show for  
dinner. We're celebrating tonight!"  
  
****************************************************  
  
The place was deserted this night, unlike the time  
he came here a few years ago. He didn't have the energy to  
spare that time to spell the guards into a sleep, like he  
had done a few minutes ago. His energy reserves were full,  
and he wouldn't have to do anything to replenish them,  
unlike the last night he spent in this land.  
The man stopped for a few moments to let the wave of  
pain wash over him before he continued. He'd suffered with  
the knowledge of what he had done to the small family that  
night at the Abbey for two long years, and tonight, finally,  
he could begin to atone for his sins in the past. They  
didn't have the chance to live a full life, but this may  
help others have what they deserved.  
Gravel crunched under his boots as he slipped  
under a gate that was manned by a snoring security guard.  
She, like the others, would wake up in a few minutes,  
and none would know what transpired here. The last  
barricade, a metal fence, stretched all around this  
place in an attempt to conserve it from the many tourists  
who came here over the years to admire it, and virtually  
none knew of the power under their feet.  
A moment of concentration and a murmured word  
activated the spell, and with the grace of a cat, he  
leapt over the ten foot fence to land without a sound  
on the other side. He brushed a bit of dirt from his  
jeans and rose, straightening his shirt. Before him stood  
his objective, a collection of gray stones that befuddled  
the scientists of the day because they refused to believe  
the kernel of truth at the core of the old stories.  
Stonehenge was a mystery to them, but it was an open  
book to him. The node seethed with power to his mage-sight.  
Fully tapping this would make him like a god, but he  
  
companion of the last two years had shown him the errors his earlier ways, and the adage about the corrupting  
effects of power were all too true.  
No, he'd just use a tiny amount of the energy there.  
He sat on the ground, legs crossed, facing north and began  
the spells he would need. The first was a ward against the  
possibility of a wave of power from the node itself as he  
tapped it. The second would allow another to hear him a  
world away.  
" I'm ready."  
The defenses peeled away under his scrutiny like the  
layers of an onion until he had open access to the power  
within. Carefully, he channeled a small amount into him and  
wove it into a portal before him. Far away, another was  
making sure he went to the correct destination. As soon as  
he was done, and he felt the opening before him actually  
going somewhere, he rose, took several steps forward, and  
then restored the defensive barriers that had thwarted him  
before.  
The world he had stepped into was much like his home  
had been all those years ago, but there was little sign of  
the intrusion of man. He stood on a game trail, and there  
were heavier tracks to his left. That was the direction he  
had been told to go, so he followed as it meandered towards  
the setting sun. A few hours later, he came to a clearing  
near a low hill. Time and space were different here, as it  
would have taken him a few days to walk between the place  
he left from and where he now was in the other world.  
There was a small, well-made stone building near  
the base of the hill, and several gardens surrounded it.  
A simple, wooden cross was at the head of a mound of dirt,  
and the farmer in him long ago could see that the grass  
had not fully grown back over it. The size and shape of  
the mound made his heart sink. Someone was buried there.  
A movement caught his eye, and he was halfway into  
a defensive crouch before he stopped and stood straight,  
with his arms held out.  
" I'm sorry, it's a habit," he said to the giant  
of a man who stepped out the bushes, lochaber axe at the  
ready. " Hello, Percival."  
" I see he let you out after all," the big man  
replied, putting the weapon over his shoulder as he  
recognized the intruder.  
" He says you needed my help. What can I do?"  
  
****************************************************  
  
" It's so nice to have you around during the day,  
Ami-chan," the blonde girl said as she finished putting  
most of her hair up into her customary odango and looked  
at her friend standing behind her. " How did your mom  
take it when you told her that you wouldn't be taking  
summer courses this year?"  
The other girl smiled in response, and resumed  
weaving the long strands into a thin braid and secured  
them with a black ribbon that was tied in a bow.  
" Not too well, I'm afraid, but she came around  
eventually," the girl replied. Unlike her friend, she  
matched the color of her dress to her blue hair. She  
wished she could wear black as well as Usagi. The dark  
color was a good contrast to her blonde hair. She thought  
she looked like a bruise when she wore black.  
" There you go, Usagi. How does that look to you?"  
Usagi looked at her hair and her friend in the mirror.  
The two braids were certainly a different approach for her,  
and made a nice, albeit different look. The rest of her  
hair was in it's two usual long streams that reached  
almost to the ground.  
" You're pretty good at that, Ami-chan. I'm surprised,  
because you said you always had short hair."  
" I usually practiced on my mom's. I always wanted  
long, black hair like hers, but I could never figure out  
where my color came from. I used to do hers when we were  
together, when she had the time."  
Usagi saw the brief flash of pain in Ami's eyes,  
got up, and hugged the girl. She forced her to sit down  
in the chair and began to run a brush through the other's  
short, blue hair in an attempt to get Ami's mind off of  
a painful subject.  
" C'mon, Ami-chan, don't let it get to you. It's  
supposed to be a happy night, and I don't want you to  
be sad."  
" Thank you, Usagi-chan," she said, patting the  
other's arm and wiping away a tear that was threatening  
to run down her face. " Thank you for caring. I'm all  
right, but it gets to me some days. I don't know how I  
would have made it if I hadn't met you and all the  
others."  
" But you did, Ami-chan, right?" the blonde said  
with a smile and infectious charm that lifted her spirits.  
Ami felt herself laugh in response and the sorrow went  
away. That was the one thing that made Usagi such a good  
friend. She always wanted everyone to be happy, and she  
treasured that side of the girl.  
" Maybe I'll challenge Michiru to a rematch,  
Usagi," she said. " I've been practicing my swimming  
and I'm faster than before."  
" That's the spirit, Ami-chan," a voice said  
from behind them, startling the two girls at the table.  
" Luna," they both said. The black cat avoided  
the attempt by Ami to pick her up and she leapt up to  
the table.  
" I'm sorry, Ami, but you do look lovely tonight  
and I'd hate to shed all over your clothes," the cat  
said, but leaned into the scratching Ami gave the side  
of her head so hard that she was looking at them upside  
down. " I'm glad that you're getting over it, Ami. Do  
you have any ideas why they might be back?"  
Ami was about to respond when a loud wolf-whistle  
was heard from someone downstairs. Makoto's voice called  
up to them, " Hey, Usagi! You've got some serious  
competition down here. I bet she'll spend more time  
with Mamoru-san than you will."  
Ami and Luna blinked as Usagi moved so quickly as  
to practically disappear from the room and rush down the  
stairs. She was confronted with Makoto, wearing a long,  
sleeveless, burgundy dress, and an embarrassed Chibi-usa,  
who was blushing enough make her cheeks match her pink  
hair.  
" Doesn't she look great, Usagi-chan? She's getting  
taller every time I see her," the tall girl said with a  
broad smile on her face. She was enjoying teasing the  
young girl, especially as Chibi-usa had been several inches  
taller and at least a year or two older when she reappeared  
after leaving shortly after the encounter with Nephrenia.  
She was also quite self-conscious of it.  
As Makoto had said, Chibi-usa did look incredible in  
a long black dress that fell to her ankles, and the crush  
top boots were just visible. It would have been an  
off-the-shoulder type, except for the thin, spaghetti  
strap around her neck. She and her future husband were  
going to be in a tough spot when the girl wanted to start  
dating later on, and she was thankful that it wouldn't be  
for a while yet.  
" Chibi-usa-chan," she gasped in surprise. " Where  
on earth did you get that? You look wonderful." The little  
girl smiled happily, glad that they liked it.  
" Pu and I saw it when we where shopping a few weeks  
ago. She dropped it off for me while you were in the bath.  
I like your braids, Usagi." They smiled at each other,  
enjoying the warmth that was starting to occasionally  
replace the bickering that had been the hallmark of  
their relationship.  
" Hi, everybody!" Rei and Minako said in unison as  
they came through the door together, with Artemis in their  
wake. The priestess wore a smart-looking red dress with a  
red ribbon as a choker, and her black hair was worn long.  
The blonde was sporting a lace covered, white affair that  
must have cost her a fortune, and her tresses were piled  
up on her head.  
" I'm sorry we're a little late. I had to drag Minako  
out of the salon. She couldn't make up her mind on a new  
style."  
" Rei-chan," the blonde said in protest, but they  
all had a good laugh at her. Minako was as fond of trying  
new hairstyles as she was of trying new clothes. The cats  
excused themselves to go have a quiet evening while the  
girls finished touching up their faces and complimenting  
each other on their outfits upstairs in Usagi's room. Chibi-usa  
heard the door bell over their voices and rushed out the room.  
" That's Mamo-chan," the girl cried out as she went down  
  
the stairs two at a time, forgetting she was wearing the  
low-heeled boots. She slipped on the sixth step, stumbled  
down the rest, and was caught by a tall, young man just  
before falling to the ground.  
" Be careful, Chibi-usa-chan. We want to go to the  
concert, little lady, not the doctor's."  
" Mamoru-san!" the girls called out in greeting from  
upstairs as they came out, and Usagi ran down for a hug.  
Chibi-usa squirmed out of the three way embrace to carefully  
run up the stairs, and came back down with Luna-P in tow at  
a more sedate walk.  
" Chibi-usa-chan," Usagi called out from the confines  
of Mamoru's embrace. " Do you want to take Luna-P?"  
" Yes, Usagi, but not like this," the girl said with  
an impish smile. " Luna-P, change!" she called out, bouncing  
her spherical companion like a ball. In a puff of smoke, it  
changed into a small, black handbag with a golden crescent.  
" Is everyone ready?" Mamoru asked. At their nods, he  
ushered them outside with a small grin on his face. There  
were gasps of surprise and delight at the stretch limousine  
waiting outside, and the driver holding open the doors.  
" Mamo-chan! This is so thoughtful of you," Usagi  
said happily as they got in.  
" I can't take credit, I'm afraid," he replied, settling  
down with her at his side and Chibi-usa climbing up on his  
lap. " The reservation was part of the tickets and everything."  
" Mamoru, did she say anything about why they were  
doing this?" Rei asked him. He shook his head.  
" No, there was just a package in my apartment with  
the tickets and all the information and a note that Michiru  
had signed. I don't even know how she got in, because there  
wasn't anything broken."  
" The type of lock you have on your door isn't too  
hard, Mamoru-san. If I could pick it, I'm sure one of them  
could have also," Minako said quietly.  
" Are you sure it was her, Mamoru?" Ami asked, voicing  
a concern about the safety of this meeting, which she had  
brought up yesterday when he told them of it.  
" Yes, Ami-chan, I'm sure. The letter described a  
meeting that we had just after we found out who they were,  
when we discussed who they were and what they were doing."  
" What meeting was that, Mamo-chan? I don't remember  
them saying anything about that?" Usagi said, trying to  
recall such an event.  
" I'm sorry, Usako. They met me when I was alone,  
just before that one fight where I was saying to them that  
we were strong because we were a team, even though they  
might be stronger individually. I didn't want to worry  
you then with their knowing who I was."  
" I don't like their knowing all this about us," Rei  
grumbled. " I haven't felt anything unusual or had any  
premonitions about this, but I still don't like it. Why  
are they so secretive?"  
" Maybe they're changing, Rei-chan, and this is the  
start of their trying to get closer," Usagi said hopefully.  
" Hotaru and Pu have been saying they wanted to  
see me more often," Chibi-usa responded. " Maybe Usagi  
is right, Rei-chan."  
" I hope she is, also, Chibi-usa," Rei said after  
a few moments.  
" Are you feeling all right, Rei," Makoto said  
with a grin. " You're agreeing with Usagi on something."  
  
******************************************************  
  
The two men went into building through a side  
entrance, with Percival ducking under the doorway. He  
smiled a little at the sight. It did remind him of someone  
he knew.  
" You're a big one, Percival. I had a... an associate  
who would have loved to fight you. He was as big as you are,  
and he was constantly complaining about not having anyone to  
practice against who could challenge him."  
" Big kid, red hair?" he replied. At the other's nod,  
he continued as they went through what appeared to be a  
kitchen. " I saw what she left of him. He was good sized,  
but he needed more practice."  
" 'Left of him' ?" he questioned the bigger man.  
" As I said, he needed the practice. She took his  
head off," Percival said while putting a finger to his  
lips to silence the reply. " He's in here. Try to be  
quiet if he's asleep."  
The only light inside was from a fireplace in the  
back wall, and he could see an old man lying on a straw  
mattress that was moved close to it for warmth, even  
though it was pleasant outside. A young boy sat in one  
corner and glared at him. A dagger sat in his lap in an  
obvious, but unspoken statement of distrust.  
" I was worried when I saw the grave out there,  
Merlin. I thought I might have been too late," he said  
while sitting down at the spot that Percival had indicated.  
It put him in a position that allowed the old man to see  
him easily, and he and the boy to be able to cut him off  
if he tried something. He sighed to himself. He deserved  
this, even though it hurt a bit. It would take some work  
to fully win their trust.  
" I'll live on a while longer," the old man rasped  
out. " At least long enough to see this one here is  
trained properly."  
The old man looked at the scowl on the boy's face  
and frowned. " Trust your king, lad. If he released him,  
we can trust him. There's no way he could get out from  
the king's reach in that place."  
The boy scowled for a few moments longer, defying  
his mentor, and then sheathed the dagger with a petulant  
sigh.  
" I don't like this, master. He was the bad guy. Why  
do we need his help?"  
" Hush, boy!" Percival rumbled from his spot in the  
corner. " If Arthur say that you can trust him, you can  
trust him."  
" What did you speak of when you were with him?" the  
old man asked, turning his attention onto him.  
" Everything, Merlin. All we could do in there was  
talk, and he was lonely. We went over everything I had  
done in my life, and he showed me were I went wrong in  
all these things, and why. He did a good job of teaching  
me about it. In turn, I was able to teach him about the  
depths of the evil mankind is capable of. He's almost  
like a child in that he can't even conceive of how  
someone could do things like that."  
" 'He is what is best in men' ," the older man  
replied, quoting a predecessor. " I'm glad the sleep  
hasn't affected him."  
" What do you need, Merlin?" he said after a few  
minutes. " He said it was important."  
" We have to repay a debt, and that is important  
to him as well as us. I'm too old to travel, and Percival  
can't leave here. I won't risk the boy, either. That leaves  
us with you, I'm afraid, although I think that you'll be a  
great help in the days to come. I need you to take a  
warning to Minako Aino in Japan."  
" I'm sorry, I don't know the name."  
" Azarite, she's the one who you fought that  
night. She's Sailor Venus."  
  
*****************************************************  
  
There was something in the air, he thought as he  
took his seat in the auditorium. A very strange feel,  
indeed. He glanced briefly at his companion, a young  
lady the escort service had sent over. She was very  
pretty, although younger than he preferred, and she  
seemed to lack the intelligence and maturity that he  
found attractive in a woman. He should have expected  
that from a service that Gabriel frequented.  
She was not the source of it, that much he was  
certain of. The auditorium had several sections of box  
seats along the walls, and he was able to make out the  
one that Gabriel said the girl sometimes sat in. He'd  
keep an eye out for anyone in there, just to be careful.  
He was dealing with an unknown, after all.  
He passed the time with some small talk with the  
girl in order to keep up appearances to anyone who might  
have been watching. Let them think he was just some  
dirty old man out for an evening with a pretty girl.  
He didn't mind the scorn if it kept him from being  
noticed. Another wave of that strange sensation swept  
over him, but stronger this time.  
He looked around quickly, hoping to catch the  
source. A slight commotion several rows ahead of him  
caught his attention. A young man, five young ladies,  
and a girl had reached their seats and there was a  
disagreement between the girl and one of the two blondes  
over who would sit with the young man, who had claimed  
the aisle seat to give him some room for his legs.  
" In all the Nine Hells..." he whispered to himself  
under his breath. The hairstyles of the two arguing had  
caught his attention and kept it from the young man, and  
it took him a moment to place him. After all, it had been  
just over a thousand years ago when he had all but killed  
the young man's father. The recent pictures always had  
him wearing a mask, but it wasn't too hard to make the  
connection.  
Despite his best efforts, the color drained from  
his face. If this was Endymion, that would make the blonde  
girl with the hair just like the Queen... He looked  
carefully at her, using his mage-sight at a tiny fraction  
of his capability to verify his hunch. The bonfire of  
energy he saw confirmed his wildest hopes and worst fears.  
With a cautious thought, he unwove every protective spell  
on him as quietly as he could, and all the others, save one  
very old enchantment. He wouldn't take any chance of being  
discovered when he was this close to his quarry.  
It was her. The others sitting with her would be  
the rest of her court, and that would mean that the others  
should be here as well. A quick glance up to the box  
confirmed it. Two women and a young girl had just sat  
down. His blood froze as he recognized one of them. The  
green haired woman was there, sitting next to a woman  
with short, golden-brown hair.  
" Excuse me, dear," he said to the girl. " I'll be  
back in a few moments. I just need to make a quick call." He  
got up and went to the lobby, where the last stragglers were  
just coming in, and he hurried to a bank of phones. Choosing  
one at random, he entered the cubicle, closed the door behind  
him, pulled out a small cellular phone, and stabbed at a  
button for a pre-set number.  
" Gabriel, listen to me. This is vitally important," he  
started speaking, cutting off the greeting on the other  
end. " She's here, six rows in front of me, and she has  
the crystal with her."  
" What?" the younger man said in shock, and then  
continued in a more excited tone. " I'll be there in  
five minutes to back you up. Is Matthew still in-"  
" Her whole court is here, and even the prince. I'm  
not stupid, Gabriel. I could never beat all of them  
together like this, not without preparation and luck.  
Don't do anything except the following, and then take  
everything important and clear out of that place in case  
she tries tracking us. Burn the place if you have to, but  
destroy anything that could give her a clue to trace us.  
" Take the test golem. I know it's not as strong, but  
send it over here with the instructions to go after the most  
powerful thing at this place. It won't have any problem  
finding her. She doesn't have a clue as to using it, and  
she's leaking power all over the place."  
" Boss, that one doesn't have a chance of hurting her  
or the others. Are you sure that's the one? The real ones  
should be all right to send."  
" I'm not interested in taking her out right now,  
Gabriel. If I can just get her to try and use it, I can  
tap it without her knowing. Give the thing a dagger, or  
something like that. It's more threatening that way, and  
get it moving as soon as possible."  
The younger man agreed and hung up. Jason folded up  
the phone and put it in his inside coat pocket. This would  
require a great amount of skill and cunning, but the power  
requirement wasn't too bad. He reached out with his mind  
and wove a complex web around his crystal that the girl  
carried, but never let the two meet, and he took his time so  
that there was little disturbance. Satisfied with his trap,  
and that he had not been detected, he returned to his seat  
just in time for the show to begin. This could prove to be  
a very interesting performance.  
  
********************************************************  
  
" Thanks for the vote of confidence, Percival," he  
said as they walked up the small hill behind the stone  
house. " I'm glad that you're willing to give me the  
chance."  
" The boy will come around, given time. He's young,  
and he doesn't understand the gray area between the black  
and the white."  
From their vantage point, he could see the gardens  
below him, and he decided to satisfy his curiosity about  
something. " Who's buried down there? When I first saw the  
grave, I thought it was the old man."  
" A couple of old friends, Azarite. They're finally  
resting in the peace they deserved, all that time ago."  
Percival replied as they came to the top of the hill and  
took a seat to catch their breaths. " After the battle at  
Camlaan, Gwen and Lance lost the will to live after Arthur  
fell. They lived a few more years, but their heart wasn't  
in it. When it was obvious that they were going to die, I  
had the Merlin put them in the sleep, just like the others.  
They couldn't stop me at that point.  
" After Arthur forgave them and took you with him, I  
had the old man wake them up. At least they were able to  
hear that he had forgiven them, and were able to die happy,  
if there is such a thing."  
" So," he replied. " The story has a happier ending  
after all. I'm glad about that."  
" Are you ready, Azarite? I'd better show you the way  
to use the entrance through the tor. It's a bit rougher than  
the node at Stonehenge, but it's a lot more private. And,  
one more thing.  
" Tell her the offer of sanctuary still stands."  
  
****************************************************  
  
Usagi was wrapped up in the music as Michiru began  
playing when someone walked across her grave. A cold chill  
swept through her, and she shivered for a moment. Chibi-usa  
was looking around, and she seemed as startled as she was.  
" Did you feel that, Usagi?" the girl whispered up at  
her from her spot between herself and Mamoru. Usagi nodded  
in response and looked over at her love. He hadn't seemed  
to notice anything amiss, but he caught her looking at him,  
leaned over a bit and put his arm around her.  
That made her feel much better. He always knew when  
she was in danger, and if he hadn't felt anything, she  
probably wasn't. She turned her attention back to the  
music and the wonderful mood it put her in.  
  
******************************************************  
  
He came to in a darkened room. He couldn't make  
anything out, but the aches and pains he felt were a  
good sign at the moment. It meant he now had a body,  
and was no longer adrift in the void.  
" By the stars," he whispered in gratitude. It had  
worked. He was alive again.  
" Hello, General," a voice said cordially as several  
dim lights came on and he could make out his surroundings  
and the man who leaned against the wall by a door. Above  
him were the stars of his planetarium he had built in the  
cathedral on earth. Just seeing them opened up the channels  
to the powers he had been blocked off from for so very long,  
and he sprang to his feet. Energy crackled at his fingertips  
to lance out in a bolt of starlight at the source of the  
tainted energy that had revived him. He could smell the  
blood on this one's hands.  
" I'll permit that as a display of futility," the man  
said, wincing slightly at the pain of blocking the attack.  
He wore a black suit, impeccably cut, and had his hair  
slicked back from his forehead. A cold expression was on  
his face, and he knew he was in for trouble. This man was  
confident of himself.  
" You see, General-"  
" Don't call me that!" he interrupted the other. " I  
renounced any association with her a long time ago."  
" All right, Nephrite. I won't call you that if you  
don't like it," the man replied with a small smile. " I  
knew Beryl, not well, but enough to not like her. I think  
I can understand how you feel about her. All that time  
with her must have been intolerable."  
" Who are you, and what do you want of me? You  
brought me back for something, so please tell me what  
it is."  
" We discovered that you were coming back on your  
own, and decided to help you out in exchange for your  
help in a matter. My name is Matthew. We want you to  
complete the work that Beryl set out for you, and capture  
the Silver Crystal. I think that you can do it, now that  
the constraints Beryl put upon you have been removed."  
" What makes you think I would do that for you?"  
he sneered at the man. " You don't have any wards up.  
I could be gone from here in a moment."  
" That's true, Nephrite," Matthew smiled and held  
up his hand. He slowly squeezed it into a fist, and  
Nephrite dropped to the ground in agony. " You see, I  
control the energy that keeps you alive. If you don't  
do as I say, I'll simply turn it off."  
The pain receded as he sat up and the man walked  
over to him, and put several photos on the ground next  
to him. Three of the five were familiar to him, but one  
of the other two that he couldn't place seemed to be of  
someone he should recognize. He reached out and picked up  
the one of the blonde girl he did remember.  
" That's the one, Nephrite. Sailor Moon has the  
Crystal, and we want it. If you get it for us, we'll  
use it to give you  
back your life. I assume that we have a bargain?"  
  
****************************************************  
  
The curtain came down after the encore, and the  
house lights came up, causing them to blink their eyes.  
" She's as good as ever," Makoto said as she  
stood and stretched her arms up over her head to help  
alleviate some of the stiffness she had from sitting for  
so long. The others had also been similarly captivated,  
and were also standing up and noticing the slight  
discomfort.  
" This place has great sound," Rei commented, " But  
the seats need to be replaced before I see another show  
here." There was a chorus of agreement from her friends.  
" We're sorry to have sentenced you to sitting down  
here, Rei-chan," a young girl called from the aisle as  
she wove through the departing crowd. " It was a last  
minute arrangement, however. We'll get a new, larger box  
if we're going to do this more often."  
" Hotaru-chan!" Chibi-usa cried and ran over to hug  
her friend, who she had not seen for a while.  
" You've gotten taller, Hotaru," Mamoru said. " You're  
as tall now as you were when we first saw you."  
" I don't want to talk about that, Mamoru," the  
girl said as a dark look crossed her face for a moment. " I'm  
still the short one. Anyway, would you please join us in the  
lounge upstairs? Michiru will be up in a few minutes, and  
we can talk a bit before dinner."  
They agreed, and followed the girl to a cozy room  
upstairs. It was a small lounge that Michiru had purchased  
the rights to, Hotaru explained. She did concerts there on  
a semi-regular basis, and liked the room as a place to  
relax in after doing a show. It was clearly not designed  
for that many people, but they were friends and didn't  
mind squeezing in on a few couches.  
Usagi had commandeered a chair to the left of the  
door and pulled Mamoru over to stand by her, while Chibi-usa  
and Hotaru took a bench on the other side of the door. Haruka  
was in the far corner with Michiru, who was sitting on the  
arm of a couch with her hair tied up in a red ribbon to let  
her cool off. Rei and Minako sat down next to her, and Ami  
and Makoto took the other couch by Setsuna.  
" You were very good tonight, Michiru." Chibi-usa  
said, smiling at the violinist.  
" She's right," Usagi chipped in. " You did a wonderful  
job out there."  
Michiru smiled back at them and held up her hand to  
forestall the rest of the compliments. " Thank you, but that's  
not why we're together tonight."  
" We were wondering about that," Ami said. " You  
vanished on us again, just after that run-in with Nephrenia.  
Why are you back this time, and why are you trying to get  
closer to us?"  
" I'm sorry, Ami-chan," Haruka replied, her voice  
surprisingly tender. " It had to be that way when we first  
met. We only had the mission, and that was all we were  
concerned about. Everything else was secondary to that."  
" We're sorry if we hurt you, everybody," Michiru  
continued. " I think it kept us from getting close back  
then, even when we remembered more about who we were back  
on the moon."  
" What do you remember about the past?" questioned  
Makoto. " We don't have anything that's clear."  
" It's the same for us," Hotaru replied sadly. " Everything  
is a bunch of little fragments that don't really seem to fit  
together. Pluto says it will all come together after a  
while." All eyes fell on Setsuna, who looked a little  
uneasy at the stares.  
" I'm sorry, but I won't tell you about the past,"  
she said firmly.  
" ' Won't ', or ' can't ' ?" Rei challenged the dark  
green haired woman.  
" I won't, Rei-chan. It's best if it comes back to you  
on your own, without my interference-"  
" That's not fair, Setsuna!" Minako protested. " We  
have a right to know about our past, don't we?" she pleaded,  
when a sudden, loud thud cut off her appeal.  
" That's enough, everyone!" Haruka growled, staring  
at the original Inner Senshi until they looked away from  
her gaze, and she put the hand that had struck the wall  
back in her pocket. " She has her reasons for not telling  
us, and I trust her enough to accept that they're valid." She  
took a deep breath, and visibly tried to calm herself before  
continuing.  
" We asked you here tonight because we do remember  
one, very important thing about ourselves from back on the  
moon, and we wanted to talk to you about it."  
" I'll tell them, Haruka," Michiru cut in as the  
taller girl searched for the right words. " There is one  
thing that we remember, and it was difficult for us to  
treat you the way that we did when we first met because of  
this. We were all sisters at one time. I mean, not from  
the same families, but we were that close back on the moon.  
" Artemis came and visited us about a week ago to ask  
that we try and get together. He thought that we were all  
missing out on that same friendship, and we think that he  
was right."  
" So that's where he was that night," Minako  
exclaimed. " He refused to tell me what he was up to."  
" What we're trying to say," Haruka said, her voice  
slightly thickened from the emotion she was feeling, " Is  
that we want to be like that again. I remember some of what  
it felt to be that close to you all, and I want that feeling  
again."  
" We miss you," Setsuna continued, and they could see  
the tears in her eyes. " It's been so long since we were  
together. I miss having all my little sisters. It doesn't  
have to be right away, but could we start being friends with  
each other again like we used to be?"  
Ami put her arm around the woman and hugged her, tears  
in her eyes as well.  
" I'm sorry to have doubted you, Setsuna. I thought it  
was a trick of some sorts, or a trap. I never knew that you  
felt that way."  
" Of course we will," Usagi said as she wiped away a  
tear, as did some of the others. " We'd be glad to." Hotaru  
laughed suddenly, and got a mischievous look to her.  
" I'm sorry, Your Majesties, but this doesn't include  
you. This is just for the hired help, I'm afraid," she said  
happily, but kept her face straight long enough for Chibi-usa  
to realize what she was saying and the impact of it. The look  
of happiness faded away to the point just before the flood of  
tears came before Hotaru finally smiled at her.  
" It's all right, Chibi-usa-chan. I was just teasing  
you."  
" Don't worry, Chibi-usa-chan," Michiru called to her  
from the other side of the room. " You're part of this as  
well. We wouldn't think of excluding you." Chibi-usa brightened  
up at this news and soon was smiling and happy like the rest  
of them. Haruka turned to a small refrigerator and took out  
a bottle.  
" We'll have a special toast tonight, then," she said,  
her voice cheerful again. The bottle was presented with a  
flourish before she put it down on the coffee table next to  
a tall, slender vase that held a yellow rose. " That's a very  
special bottle, according to Setsuna."  
" I think you're a lush, Haruka," Michiru teased her  
friend. " That's the third time you've come up with an  
excuse for a drink today."  
A chill ran down Rei's spine as she realized something  
as horribly wrong near them, and it's attention was focused  
on Usagi. She surged to her feet to begin to a headlong dive  
to cover her dear friend.  
Haruka noticed the change in Rei's face and rushed  
forward as the door handle began to turn. It burst open as  
Mamoru felt the danger as well and he shifted into his  
'other' tuxedo in a flurry of rose petals.  
It appeared to be a pale skinned, naked man, and  
he was carrying a knife as he headed for Usagi.  
" Ecchi!" Ami cried in shock, not realizing the  
threat. She hadn't seen the knife.  
" Moon..."  
She couldn't get to him in time, she decided. Damn  
it, what was I thinking, she yelled at herself, letting  
her sit by the door like that. The cloud of rose petals  
around the young man gave her the idea. The vase, of  
course.  
" ...Eternal... "  
On the run, she grabbed it by the neck and flung it  
at the intruder in a desperate, side-armed throw that sent  
the knife flying out of his hand in a cloud of dust as the  
hand shattered when the white and yellow streak hit it.  
My god, he thought to himself. This thing isn't  
human. There was no way a cane or a rose could hurt what  
appeared to be stone. Even as he moved, a shimmer swept  
over him from front to back as his armor appeared. More  
importantly, his sword, as well.  
" ...Make..."  
The Space Sword suddenly in hand, she leaped over  
the diving priestess who would land on top of the  
princess to shield her with her body. This should do it,  
she said to herself with a grim smile. This can cut  
through anything.  
"...Up!"  
  
*****************************************************  
  
" Can we go now?", the girl exclaimed, a slight  
whine in her voice. He ignored her and concentrated on  
the feel of the energies in the room above, where his  
crystal had gone along with his enemies. It had been  
quiet to his sight, and he wished he could use a scrying  
spell to see what really was going on.  
There! he almost shouted aloud, and a look of  
exultation appeared on his face. He yanked the shimmering  
lattice of energy tightly about the crystal, and slammed  
a spear of force into it, guided by the old spell of  
control he had helped create almost twenty-five hundred  
years ago.  
A surge of power filled him, and a sense of pleasure.  
After so long, I have a hold on it, and no matter what the  
Princess of the Moon does, I'm not letting go. I have her  
now. It's just a matter of time.  
He looked again at the girl. She would do nicely  
for this, he thought. Pulling out his wallet, he took out  
a stack of bills and handed them to her. She gasped at the  
sight, for there must have been a few hundred thousand yen  
in the stack.  
" Go back to your agency, and bring back a couple of  
your girl friends to my room at the hotel. They'll all get  
an equivalent amount, and there will be more for you. I'm  
suddenly in the mood for a little party tonight."  
  
****************************************************  
  
Her sword bounced off of it, and only gouged  
out a small chunk, to her dismay as the sense of fear  
within her grew. Her landing was thrown off by the  
unplanned recoil, and she sprawled at the thing's feet.  
Abandoning the sword for now, she hit the ground and  
grasped at it's legs, hoping to throw it off balance.  
Fear gripped his heart as he saw her sword barely  
affect it. He had seen her cut through solid steel with  
it on one occasion. What could his plain old sword do to  
it if hers had failed? His fear and desperation channeled  
every last bit of energy he had into the blade, which  
began to glow with a yellow light as it started to swing  
down towards the thing. He was going to be too late, he  
thought. It was so close to reaching her neck with it's  
one good hand...  
A loud, ringing tone came from his sword as it  
cleaved the thing in two from his overhand stroke, and  
the blade wedged itself into the floor beneath him. The  
statue began to decompose at once, but not before he  
could see a round, shining stone the size of an apple  
in the middle of it that glowed a sickly yellow color.  
It, too, had been cut in half, and was dissolving. The  
feel he got from it sickened him. It felt like something  
that should have been pure and natural that had been...  
corrupted.  
Lights flashed in the room as the others finished  
their transformations. With the exception of Rei,  
Haruka, Usagi, and Chibi-usa, the others now wore  
their Senshi uniforms.  
Usagi? he said to himself. He had heard her  
saying the words. He looked at her to see if she was  
all right. She hadn't been touched, but the tears  
flowed down her face.  
" It didn't work!" she whispered, shocking the  
others with the raw agony in her voice. " It didn't  
work. I tried, and it didn't work. I can't feel the  
crystal."  
  
******************************************************  
  
to be continued in part 2.  
  
end. Obligations {1/3}  
  



	2. Default Chapter Title

Obligations {2/3}  
  
  
A Sailor Moon story by Tim Nolan in three parts.   
e-mail: nomad@cyberverse.com  
  
  
  
Part 2  
  
  
  
  
  
The one who called himself Matthew had finally   
left the cathedral, and it was now dark and quiet. The   
only lights were from the projection system that gave   
him a view of the stars. Now, he could rest and try to   
figure out what to do. This was another dilemma for him   
to face, just like the one that had led him to renounce   
Beryl. He hoped that this one wouldn't lead to his death.  
Not now, not when he now had something to live   
for. Matthew had been correct in one thing, at least.   
The spells that Beryl had used to control him and the   
others had greatly reduced their abilities and memories.   
Things were beginning to come back to him. Now, he could   
remember a few bits and pieces of how it had happened.   
They had been in Kunzite's tower late one evening,   
just after returning from the Moon Kingdom. The prince   
had gone there on a diplomatic matter, or at least that's   
what they had told the old generals. They all knew of his   
love for the princess of the Moon and were doing everything   
in their considerable power to aide him in his courtship.  
The planned topic was supposed to be about magic.   
Kunzite was a mage, and the most formally trained of the   
four, having spent several years under the tutelage of an   
aged scholar who had emigrated from the moon. Jadeite was   
gifted in the use of the gates that led to many of their   
daring successes in battles. A few months ago, he had been   
instrumental in their defeating a student of their old   
enemies when he gated a phalanx of Atlantean troops into   
the sorcerer's stronghold.  
Zoicite, who was reclining on a couch with his head   
in Kunzite's lap, was a specialist in crystals. He was   
always a dangerous adversary with a host of tricks up his   
sleeves. He himself was a channeler who could call upon   
the power of the stars. Together, they had a good   
understanding of the magics that were their edge in   
dealing with the rest of the world. Atlantis was a   
wealthy land, thanks to the trade with the Moon Kingdom,   
and had attracted many who coveted that wealth.   
Somehow, they had been sidetracked into a   
discussion of the Princesses' court, and Zoicite's   
infatuation with one of it's members. For the first   
time, he had spent several hours together with one   
outside of the carefully orchestrated formal gatherings   
where they had usually encountered each other before. The   
Senshi wore a simple white robe, in marked contrast to her   
colorful battle costume or an ornate gown. He said they   
had been a bit nervous at first while they stayed near   
the two royals, who were sitting together in a secluded   
section of the gardens, but in plain sight of their   
respective chaperones.   
In order to pass the time, Zoicite had struck up a   
game of chess with Mercury when she said she knew of the   
game. He hadn't expected much of a challenge out of the   
shy girl, but was soon in the match of his life. One game   
quickly became six epic duels, with an even split on the   
results and eager promises of a rematch. It had broken   
the ice between them, and soon they were regretting the   
other duties that would require his return to the planet   
that loomed impossibly large in the sky above.  
As they relaxed together with a jug of wine, they   
had discussed these first steps they had made towards   
friendship. The four had seen the Senshi on a few occasions,   
but had not interacted with them on anything like a personal   
basis before this. Kunzite had been enjoying teasing his   
close friend about his sudden feelings for the blue-haired   
girl. He had even joked of a double wedding when the prince   
had won the hand of the princess, much to the dismay of   
Zoicite.  
That was when she entered the room, a tall lady with   
red hair who had somehow made it past the wards Kunzite had   
set against the spies of the generals. After that, he knew   
of nothing but the unending nightmare that life became as he   
was slowly forced to turn against his friends and country for   
the sake of her mad lust for power. Beryl had even taken   
advantage of the contact between the four of them and the   
Senshi. It gave her four very skilled spies who learned much   
about the Moon Kingdom.  
If it wasn't for meeting Naru, he would have never   
been able to break the compulsion. This body was tired and   
worn out from the struggle to break free, and it's needs   
had been denied too long in the time it took him to return.   
The demands of his body finally overwhelmed him as he   
succumbed and fell into a deep slumber.  
  
****************************************************  
  
In the cold reaches of their system, they   
conferred.  
" I am happy for you, brothers and sisters. I   
am glad that they are all back," spoke the one who   
was third out, and the place where the other life had   
originated. They were alive, the nine brothers and   
sisters, but not like the life on the third.   
" I must warn you," she continued. " This could   
pose a danger to all of us."  
" She is correct," replied the one who was closest   
in, and the cleverest of all the siblings. " It could be   
a threat to us if this one learns of the connections   
between ourselves and the avatars."  
" My daughter's spirit, which he trapped inside   
the stone, would become the weapon that would defeat us.   
She would not like that, and would tell us so if she were   
alive today."  
" She is not dead," the largest spoke in his deep   
voice. " She still lives, inside the stone."  
" My daughter was trapped when that aspect of her   
was. Would you give up your freedom for perpetual   
imprisonment, brother?" she inquired of him, and posed   
the same questions to the others. There was no response.  
" What would you have us do, sister?" asked the   
second out, her voice warm with her concern for her   
sibling.  
" I could destroy the threat," said the ringed   
one. " My avatar could take care of the problem, and   
she who is third has said that the life on her would   
survive even that. Then, it would only be a matter of   
waiting for it to rise again."  
" That would not be fair to them," said the fourth,   
cutting off the start of his sister's protests. " My   
avatar has taught me much of morality. We would be as   
unethical as the one we speak of."  
" Siblings, may I speak?" the one who was furthest   
out ventured. When they had quieted, he continued. " Our   
avatars are there, in that place. Let them try and figure   
out what to do in this situation. Their judgments have   
been sound."  
There was agreement all throughout, as they recognized   
the wisdom in his words and agreed to give their avatars a   
chance. The sounds of space were the only things they heard   
for a while as they thought upon the recent events. The   
faint moaning of the solar wind was punctuated by the   
staccato impacts of particles against particles, and the   
louder crash of a sizable chunk of rock slamming otherwise   
unnoticed into one side of the largest one. Finally, it   
was he who broke the silence to speak.   
" What of the one who is not an avatar?"  
" Yes, what is to be done about her?" said the   
fourth out. " Her welfare is important to all of our   
avatars."  
She is important to ones besides the avatars, the   
one who is third thought to herself with what the humans   
would call a smile, but she did not let it show.  
" We stand ready to protect her, as always," said   
the seventh and eighth, who had been silent until now.   
As usual, they spoke in their perfect harmony, and turned   
together towards the one furthest out. " We are ready,   
brother."  
" Our avatars may be able to help her," the patient   
one responded to the chorus of questions from the ones   
closer in. " They cannot restore what is lost, but they   
may be able to show her what she still has."  
  
*****************************************************  
  
They stood in shock as Usagi quietly sobbed on   
Rei's shoulder. The dust that was the remains of the   
statue was slowly fading away, and Mercury was so moved   
by the despair written in Mamoru's eyes that she almost   
forgot to scan it before it was gone. With a snarl of   
frustration he turned and slammed his fist into a wall.   
The sound of breaking bone was clearly audible.  
" I failed her again," he said bitterly as he   
slumped to the floor, ignoring the pain from his hand.   
Saturn moved over to help him, but he waved her off.   
She was about to protest when Haruka spoke.  
" Mars, is she hurt?" she said. At the small shake   
of the priestesses' head, the tall girl began issuing   
orders as she took off her jacket. " Pluto, Neptune,   
take position outside the door. Saturn, if anyone besides   
one of us comes through the door, cut them down. Don't   
wait for an explanation, just kill them. I'm going to   
get the limo and get us out of here."  
" Haruka," Ami said in surprise as the woman pulled   
out her scepter and changed into Sailor Uranus. " What if   
it's an innocent person who-"  
" Ami!" Minako snapped at the blue-clad Senshi in a   
tone of voice that surprised even herself. " She's right.   
Usagi's safety is our first concern."  
" I'll call on the cellular when I'm outside the   
side entrance. Bring her out, but change back to your   
regular clothes. Saturn, stay in costume but wear my   
overcoat. We can't rely on firepower here. It'll be better   
to get away without being noticed," she said as she pulled   
her jacket back on over her uniform and left the room at a   
fast walk after tossing a cellular phone to Neptune. She   
looked enough like a girl who had borrowed her date's jacket   
to escape anything more than a second glance, unlike the   
commotion her Senshi outfit would cause.  
" C'mon," the dark-green haired woman said to Neptune   
as they changed back to their dresses. " We'll be right   
outside the door if we're needed. Michiru, if I see that   
statue again I'm going to go back in time and-" the door   
clicked shut behind them.  
" Mako-chan?" Rei called out. " Give me a hand here.   
I want to get her up on the sofa." Together, they lifted   
Usagi up and into a sitting position. Ami moved in with her   
computer at the ready, but Chibi-usa beat her to Usagi's   
side and threw her arms around her mother.   
This brought Usagi out of the daze she had been in   
as she realized the girl was crying, and she pulled her   
into a tight embrace.  
" I'm all right, Chibi-usa-chan," she said with   
a game attempt at a smile.  
" I can't feel the crystal either, Usagi. I can't   
change. Moon Crisis Make-up!" she cried out, but nothing   
happened. Rei sat down next to her friend, put her arm   
around her to comfort her, and looked over at Mamoru to   
see why he wasn't here consoling her, like he should   
have been, but Makoto was standing in the way as she   
picked up the vase that had broken the statue's hand.  
" What in the world?" she exclaimed. " This thing   
is heavy. No wonder it shattered it's hand." She tossed   
it over to Minako, who had taken Ami over to a corner to   
apologize for using such a tone of voice on her earlier.   
The blonde dropped it, surprised at the weight, and it   
landed with a loud clunk on the floor, right next to Ami's   
foot. Makoto grinned in embarrassment at her yelp of   
surprise.  
" It's tooled steel," Saturn said as she went over   
to the silent figure of Mamoru, who was still sitting on   
the floor. " Haruka was tired of knocking over this one   
vase she made, so she had a machinist make that one up to   
look just like it and had it coated with a ceramic   
composite." She kneeled next to him and looked at the   
blood coming from his knuckles.  
" I've never done this with broken bones, Mamoru,   
but I'm going to try and heal up your hand. Next time,   
aim for in between the studs, O.K.?" she said with a   
little smile, trying to cheer him up. The man blinked   
a few times, as if suddenly becoming aware of his   
surroundings. He put his hand on top of hers to stop   
her.  
" I can do it, Hotaru. You have a tough time   
with healing people, if I recall. You'll need your   
energy to protect her if something happens," he said   
as his good hand began to glow with a golden light. He   
put it over the injured one, and when he took it away,   
the only sign that something had happened was a slight,   
pink cast to his skin.  
" You're not the only healer among us, Hotaru. Do   
you remember when you came and gave back Chibi-usa's   
heart crystal? I was using this to keep her alive. Now,   
if you'll excuse me," he said as he shifted back to his   
normal suit. " I have to go to her."   
  
****************************************************  
  
She looked about the parking lot as they moved   
towards the limo. Makoto was pushing her way through   
the few clusters of people there, and Michiru was bringing   
up the rear. The others were formed up around Usagi and   
Mamoru, who had his cape over her shoulders. Setsuna was   
carrying Chibi-usa, and Hotaru was scanning the crowd   
from her spot right behind the princess looking like a   
thunder storm ready to break. Minako even had the presence   
of mind to twist her hair up into an approximation of   
odango-atama's hair style in order to give any assailants   
two blonde targets.  
They may have some disputes with each other and   
their methods, but they had come around in the crisis   
tonight, she said to herself as they got into the limo   
and she hit the gas. Tires screeching, she cut between   
a group of people and sped past three limousines that   
were the same model as what she drove. She had used all  
her cash that she had on hand to hire the vehicles away   
from the people who had reserved them for the night and   
gave thanks she had gotten in the habit of keeping a   
spare couple hundred-thousand yen on her at all times.  
The other cars sped after her in pursuit, and   
would break off every few minutes to try and confuse   
anyone following them. She took advantage of the big   
engine to run several lights at high speed, trusting to   
the experience of hundreds of hours in races at high   
speeds. The slow pace of normal traffic was like a crawl   
to her usual self, but it was even more so now. The   
Formula One rookie driver sensation of a few years ago   
wasn't at the wheel. It was Sailor Uranus.  
  
****************************************************  
  
The new modifications and the tune-up Miyuki   
had done on his motorcycle had done wonders. This time,   
he was sure he'd catch his nemesis. The machine now   
boasted a racing engine that she had set to be unmatched   
at the low end. He'd finally have the acceleration he would   
need, since the traffic didn't allow him to ever use the   
top speed it was capable of.  
He was just finishing up his test drive and was on   
his way to see his intended when he heard a screech of   
tires and horns. Glancing to the right, he just saw a black   
limo sail through the intersection in front of him at what   
had to be 200 kmh. What galled him even more is that he   
caught a glimpse of the driver. That had to be her! He goosed   
the throttle as he turned to follow and slapped the switch   
for his helmet mounted radio.   
" Dispatch? Yoriko, this is Officer Nakajima. I'm   
going on duty. A limo just passed me doing over two-hundred   
on a surface street. I'm in pursuit!"  
He put on the lights and siren and took off in   
earnest, his new machine eating up the distance in no   
time. There was room on the left for him to pull up   
next to her, and he gambled that this was an import   
that didn't have the wheel on the right. It was her all   
right, but the murderous look she gave him made him slow   
down slightly and drop behind the vehicle.   
This wasn't the light-hearted trickster who had   
plagued him for the past two and a half years. Gone were   
the smiles, the winks and the waves. It had always been a   
challenge between the two, but it was in a sense of fun   
as he strove to bring her in. Now, she looked like she   
would run him off the road.  
  
****************************************************  
  
Haruka snarled a curse as the motorcycle officer   
came up out of nowhere on her left. Sure enough, it was   
him, and it would happen to be the one time she couldn't   
afford to deal with him gently.  
" Michiru," she called out into the back compartment   
as she hit the lever for the sunroof in the passenger's   
compartment. " Take him down. He'll follow us to hell   
and back on that thing." Her partner moved to comply,   
but Ami lunged forward to knock Michiru back into her   
seat.  
" No! We don't have to kill him" she cried out   
over the wind from the opening above them. " At this   
speed, he'll be hurt if he falls off. Mercury Crystal   
Power, Make-up!"   
Sailor Mercury stood up through the sunroof and   
grabbed onto the side with one hand to steady herself   
as she turned to look at the police officer tailing   
them. The wind was whipping her hair around her , but   
she was lucky it was short enough to still see behind   
them. Rei or Minako would practically be blind. They had   
just finished a turn and were on a long, straight section   
of road that had few cars on it. It was a good a point as   
any for this.  
" Shabon Spray!"  
A stream of bluish-white mist erupted from her   
fingers, the wind turning the bubbles into a fog. She   
kept it up for several seconds, and aimed it high enough   
to hopefully keep from making the pavement too slick for   
the motorcycle officer. It took a few moments, but he   
apparently decided on discretion and started to slow down   
to a stop.  
" Good work!" Neptune said as she squeezed up next   
to her in the opening. The other girl must have changed   
while she was busy.   
" Deep Submerge!" she cried, and a ringed ball of   
blue energy slammed into the pavement behind them to leave   
most of the roadway around his motorcycle covered in   
water. " Ami-chan,..." she started to say, but she   
already had an idea what Neptune wanted.  
" Shining Aqua Illusion!" Mercury called out, and   
landed it squarely among the remains of Neptune's attack.   
The water turned to a patch of ice that should keep him   
from following. Neptune clapped her on the shoulder as   
they sat down and Haruka closed the sunroof.  
" Thanks, Ami," she called out from the driver's   
seat as she put it in a turn and slowed as she merged   
into the traffic on the onramp to an expressway. " Michiru,   
are your parents still going to be out of town for a few   
days?"  
" Yes, Haruka. It's a safer place than your homes   
right now," she explained to the others. "If anyone has   
been tracking you, they won't know where we're going. If   
they do, we can still get you off to a safe house while   
we figure out what's happening."  
" I'm sorry, Michiru," Usagi replied angrily. " I'm   
not letting you shut me away from the world in order   
to protect me."  
" Please listen to them, Usako," Mamoru said as   
he put his hand on her arm and tried to calm her   
down. " They're doing this because they care about   
you, not because they want to hurt you. Whoever is   
behind all this is the real enemy here."  
  
*************************************************  
  
They got out of the limo at a small mansion   
on a hill in one the best areas of Tokyo. The view   
from the gardens and the house was a breathtaking   
panorama of the city below and the stars above. Haruka   
pulled Michiru aside as the others began moving towards   
the house as Hotaru showed them the way in.  
" I'll be back in fifteen minutes, at most. I need   
to ditch the car, and I've got a bike hidden near here   
the place I have in mind. If I'm not back in twenty minutes,   
get out and up to one of the safe houses out of the city.   
Get out of the country if you can."  
" Be careful, Haruka. No heroics. I don't want to   
lose you."  
The taller girl responded with a crooked grin   
and pulled her in for a quick hug.  
" I'm the wind, remember?" she whispered back. " They   
won't catch me. I called the airport and the helicopter   
is being pre-flighted if you need it. I'll find you if   
you have to leave, no matter where you go, Michiru. I   
don't want to lose you, either."   
She watched her drive off and stood there with   
her fears for a few moments before putting them aside   
and joining the others. As she expected, Hotaru had   
taken them into the conservatory. She walked up behind   
the brown haired girl.  
" Makoto, would you please do me a favor? We aren't   
going to get to that restaurant tonight, and I think we   
could all use a bite to eat and some tea. Why don't you   
go in the kitchen there and put together some sandwiches?"  
Makoto nodded and went off after corralling Rei and   
making her lend a helping hand. She told Hotaru and Setsuna   
to keep everyone occupied and went upstairs to activate the   
perimeter security, and then to the garage to make sure the   
car was ready to go. She wasn't as good a driver as Haruka,   
but she could manage. The van would be cramped, but that   
wasn't a concern right now. She was turning on the laptop   
in the van to log into the airport files to check the   
departing flights when she heard an engine die and the sound   
of wheels rolling up the driveway a few minutes later. The   
alarm hadn't sounded, and the engine sounded like an   
off-road motorcycle.   
As she suspected, it was Haruka. They embraced   
and went up to join the others in the conservatory. Makoto   
had just brought in a tray of sandwiches and put it next   
to a pair of thermal carafes that held tea and coffee. Usagi   
must be getting over it, because she was at least nibbling   
on a sandwich.  
" We should be safe now," Haruka said around a sip   
of coffee. She made a face at the taste of it and decided   
to switch to the tea. " I got rid of the limo and I haven't   
seen any sign of pursuit. I don't think they're on to us."  
" Who is 'they'?" Ami questioned. " Does anyone have   
an idea of what that thing was, or who it might have   
been?" Her only response was silence.  
" How are you feeling, Usagi-chan?" Setsuna asked. She   
took another bite and washed it down before replying.   
" I'm all right, everybody. I was a little woozy at   
first, but I feel fine right now, except that I don't have   
that feel I usually do from the crystal."   
" I can't feel it either," Chibi-usa said from where   
she sat next to her parents.   
" You can feel her crystal, Chibi-usa-chan?" Makoto   
said in surprise. The young girl took out her broach, and   
showed them the crystal in it. It was dull and glossy, not   
the translucent brightness they usually saw.   
" It's like a person singing a long way away," the   
girl continued. " I can usually just hear it over the   
sound of mine."   
" Usagi, do you normally hear the same thing with   
your crystal?" Setsuna asked of the blonde girl. " Do you   
hear hers as well?" Usagi nodded and absent-mindedly   
reached for another sandwich.  
" Setsuna, could it be a resonance between   
the crystals?" Ami asked, her eyes lighting up as   
she came up with a theory. " To the best of our   
knowledge, she has the same crystal that Usagi does,   
except that it's the one from the future."   
" That's an interesting idea, Ami-chan, but how   
does it connect with what happened?" Minako asked,   
slightly puzzled. " What happened to Usagi? Why couldn't   
she change?"  
" I don't know, Minako-chan," the blue-haired   
girl responded as she pulled out her computer and began   
to tap on the keys as she spoke. " It might help us in   
figuring out how to fix it, however. Maybe if we fix   
Usagi's problem, Chibi-usa will be all right as well.   
Did you feel anything unusual or different, Usagi?"   
" I felt something funny during the concert. I   
felt real cold for a moment and shivered, but it wasn't   
from being cold, like from the air conditioning."   
" I felt it too," Chibi-usa chimed in her   
high-pitched voice. " It was just as Michiru began   
playing."   
" What about when you tried to change, Usagi-chan?" Rei   
asked, her heart still breaking whenever she remembered   
the look of pain on her friend's face in that horrible   
moment.  
" No, there wasn't anything different, except that   
when I tried, I realized that I couldn't feel it like I   
usually do." Ami nodded and got up to pace nervously   
back and forth a few times as she thought before going   
over and asking Michiru for a loan of a real computer   
keyboard.   
" You're being very brave, Usagi-chan," Hotaru   
said while she poured another cup for the girl as they   
took a brief break. Mamoru smiled at Usagi and put his   
arm around her shoulders.   
" I'm proud of her for standing up so well. You   
too, little one," he said as he put his other arm around   
Chibi-usa.  
" You should be proud of them all right," Rei said   
without a hint of sarcasm in her voice as she stood up. " Their   
appetites aren't affected by this. They ate all the food. I'm   
going to go make a few more plates, Usagi," she said with a   
warm smile at her friend.  
Ami came back in with Michiru and began to tell her   
computer how to adapt to what she was now using. In a few   
moments, she began to type at a furious rate. Michiru went   
over and sat next to Haruka, who was so deep in thought   
that she didn't even respond until Michiru waved her hand   
in front of her eyes.  
" Earth to Haruka?" she teased her friend.  
" Sorry, Michiru," she blinked and blushed   
slightly. " I was just thinking about this problem   
and how to fix it."  
" I'm sure we'll come up with something."  
Ami got up and took a seat near Usagi, set the   
keyboard on her lap and put her computer on the table   
next to her.  
" Usagi, would you please take out your crystal?"  
" Certainly, Ami-chan," she replied as she   
pulled out the crystal in it's double-winged broach. It,   
too, was dull and glossy like Chibi-usa's.   
" Chibi-usa, would you bring yours over here as   
well?" As the girl came over and held hers out as well,   
Ami looked at the two and the read-outs on her   
terminal. " Chibi-usa, can you tell me anything about   
the crystal that your mother gave you?"  
Chibi-usa giggled as Setsuna heard the question   
and turned pale.  
" I knew you wouldn't let me say anything, Pu. You   
and my mama already told me not to talk to her about it,   
no matter what happens. I'm sorry, Ami-chan."  
" It was worth a try," Ami said with a sigh. " Usagi,   
I've got my initial scans done. Would you try to transform   
again?"  
" I'll try, Ami-chan, but I don't think it will   
work."   
" Don't think like that, Usagi-chan, or it never   
will," Makoto warned her.  
" Moon Eternal Make-Up!" she called out, closing   
her eyes in concentration.  
The crystal remained dull.  
  
*****************************************************  
  
He straightened his tie as he closed the door   
behind him, a smile plastered on his face. He'd worn   
the three girls out, and he still felt full of energy   
after all that. The elevator to the floor came quickly   
at this time of the morning, and he admired the faint   
glow to the east that signaled the coming sunrise. This   
period of tranquillity just before dawn was truly his   
favorite time of the day.   
There was a cab outside, and he had the driver   
take him to a hotel that catered to traveling businessmen.   
For some reason, a heavy, Western style breakfast appealed   
to him this fine morning. He even gave the driver a tip   
even though the man wouldn't shut up. The man must have   
been here from New York.  
Four eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, fresh orange   
juice and a stack of buckwheat pancakes later, he walked   
to Gabriel's new location while he enjoyed the feeling of   
energy that filled him. This power didn't have the taint   
of blood magic, nor the fuzziness it sometimes left in   
the user's mind. This was absolutely a joy to possess,   
and soon he would have it all.  
The young man's new residence was clearly not one   
he had spent much time in, unlike the suite he had seen   
the day before. This still had the feel of being new, and   
lacked the lived-in touch. Gabriel was still red-eyed from   
a lack of sleep after moving all his gear during the night.  
" Hello, Gabriel. It's a beautiful morning, isn't   
it?"   
The younger man summoned up a smile in spite of his   
headache. " I take it things went well last night, Boss?   
You look the cat who got the cream."  
" Better than I could have hoped for. That girl has   
the power of a god at her disposal, and she treats it like   
a trinket. You could have done it a week after I started   
teaching you. Now, there's no way she can stop us.   
" I'm going to have Matthew set up the trap. I'm still   
wary of the others, the second group, but their big gun is   
out of the picture. If all goes well, the problem will come   
to us to be taken care of."  
" That's a shrewd idea, all right. When do you want   
me to start the operation?"  
" Today, Gabriel. Later on today, let loose the first   
one and have it go on a rampage. The decoy is in place, and   
you can finish the rest over the next few days. Today,   
however, today is the beginning of the end for them."  
  
*****************************************************  
  
Ami set down the cup of cold coffee as she realized   
the sun was starting to rise up over the horizon. It   
tasted bad, but it would keep her going. Most of the   
others had drifted off to sleep at some point while she   
worked and were scattered around the room. There was one   
thing this large room didn't lack, and that was plenty   
of comfortable furniture. She looked around to make sure   
everyone in the room was still asleep before venting her   
frustrations.  
" Damn," she said softly.  
" Such language, Ami-chan," Haruka drawled,   
causing Ami to start in surprise and blush red in   
embarrassment. The girl had been watching through   
partially closed eyes.   
" I'm sorry, Haruka-san. Haven't you slept?  
" Don't be sorry. You're trying, and that's all   
that counts. No, I haven't slept. I took the first   
shift, and Michiru will take over for me in a little   
while. We're going to keep a guard on her until we   
figure out what is going on."  
" She won't like that," she warned the other girl.   
" Tough. She's the Princess, Mercury," Haruka flatly   
stated, using titles instead of names to emphasize her   
point. " We protect her, and that's final."  
" I know that, Haruka-san, but it won't be easy.   
I just wish I had some good news to tell everyone. I've   
drawn a blank."  
" I'm not the scientific type, Ami-chan, but what   
if we're going about this the wrong way? Is technology   
the answer to magic?"   
" I'm not sure, but it's the only thing I have.   
The scientific method should still work, unless magic   
doesn't follow the laws of physics. I wish I knew more   
about what happens to us and why it does, but I don't   
know where to begin in regards to working with, or   
understanding, magic."   
" Maybe I said it wrong, Ami. I'm still a little   
fuzzy from a lack of sleep right now," the tall girl   
admitted with a rueful grin. " Is technology the answer   
in this case? What if magic is the answer to solving   
this, even if we don't know much about it?" She stood   
up and stretched, the wrinkles in her shirt and slacks   
clearly visible.   
" C'mon, I've got an idea or two I need to think   
over, but I need a real cup of coffee. How do you like   
your mud?"  
  
****************************************************  
  
" Just five more minutes, Mom..."  
" Usako!"  
" I'll be to school on time, Mom. Just let me   
sleep a few more minutes."  
It was only when a stubbled cheek brushed against   
hers and someone kissed her that she realized that she   
wasn't at home. She sat up, blinking at the clear   
morning light.  
" Mamo-chan? It's morning! My parents are going   
to kill me!"  
" I'm here, Usako," he said to her as he sat down   
on the bed. " It's time to get you up and moving. Rei   
called your parents last night and told them that   
everybody was having a sleep-over at the temple since   
her grandfather was gone. She and I brought you two up   
here to one of the guest rooms after you fell asleep. Setsuna   
just took Chibi-usa down for a bath, and now it's your turn.   
You'd better hurry up, or there won't be any breakfast left."  
" I'm not really that hungry, Mamo-chan," she said,   
sitting up while holding the sheets to her chest. All she   
was wearing was an over-sized T-shirt, and while she   
didn't really feel the need to be modest in front of   
him, one of the others might walk by the partially   
open door. " I'm starting to feel scared about this.   
What if we can't figure out what happened? What if I'm   
like this forever?"   
" Usako," he said in a thick voice from what he   
was feeling. " Don't think like that. Nothing will   
change between us, no matter what. I don't love you   
because you're Sailor Moon." He reached out and drew   
her into an embrace and nestled her head down on his   
shoulder.  
" I love you because you're Usagi Tsukino. I'll love   
you no matter what happens today, or tomorrow, or the next."  
" Mamo-chan," she sighed, sniffled a few times, and   
began to cry. He let her get some of the pain and fear out,   
since this wasn't the wailing she usually indulged in.   
" C'mon, Usako," he said after a few minutes. " Mako-chan   
is making a feast down there, and you could use a good   
breakfast." He stood, scooped her up and carried her   
into the bath. Just inside the door, he set her down   
on her feet.  
" Take a quick bath, Usako"  
" Will you wash my back, Mamo-chan?" she asked   
with an impish grin.  
" Usako!" he exclaimed and blushed.  
" Mamo-chan," she protested. " It's not like-"  
" Usako," he cut her off quickly. " Now is not   
the right time for that. Go get cleaned up and meet us   
downstairs." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and   
gently pushed her into the bathroom and closed the door.   
He sighed, and then ran a hand through his hair. A tap   
on the door made him look up.   
" Mamoru?" Michiru called out. " May I come in?"  
" Yes. She just got in the bath."  
The girl tossed him a set of sweats and nodded   
her head towards the end of the hallway.   
" Here's something you can wear, unless you mind   
that it's Haruka's. It should fit well enough, and I've   
got some things Usagi can wear. The other shower is free.   
I'll keep an eye on her, O.K.?" she said with a smile.   
" Thanks. I need it, and a shave. Would you do me   
a favor, Michiru?"  
" Certainly, Mamoru," she replied politely.  
" Please try not to let her know that you're   
watching over her. She's starting to feel a little   
scared. I think she was still in a bit of shock last   
night, and it's finally sinking in."  
  
*************************************************  
  
" It's so nice cooking for her, Hotaru," Makoto   
said as they cleaned up in the kitchen after they   
had finished eating. " I always feel good when she   
cleans her plate like that. It makes me feel like   
I've done a good job."  
" It was very good, Mako-chan," the shorter   
girl agreed as she finished stacking the last of   
the plates that she had dried. " But doesn't Usagi   
eat everything no matter where she goes?" They both   
giggled for a moment, since they knew it to be true.  
" She does, but I still like it."  
" I've got the cups, Mako-chan. Would you please   
bring in the carafes?"  
They went into the conservatory, where everyone   
was sitting together in one corner and recovering from   
the meal. Makoto had seen the contents of the kitchen   
and pantry and went overboard with delight at what she   
had to work with.  
" Here's coffee and tea, everybody," the brown   
haired girl said as she sat down.  
" Thanks, Mako-chan," Chibi-usa said as she patted   
her stomach. " I didn't know I was so hungry."  
" Ami-chan," Usagi asked her friend. " Did you   
figure anything out?"  
The blue haired girl sighed before answering.   
" I'm sorry, Usagi-chan."  
The blonde girl sat back in the couch with a dejected   
look on her face that made Ami want to cry. She'd failed   
her friend this time, after coming through so many times   
before.  
" Usagi-chan..." Minako said in a wavering voice,   
and tears began to roll down her face. " I'm so sorry... we   
should have done better last night."  
Haruka sighed in exasperation. She didn't think she   
could sit through another crying session like the Inner   
Senshi had been in last night. She caught Setsuna's eyes   
and motioned for her to come over from where she sat   
with Chibi-usa.   
" Should I?" she questioned her in a whisper.   
" No, I think I better do this," was the reply.   
Setsuna took a deep breath and straightened to her   
considerable full height.   
" Crying isn't going to help us here, everybody," she   
said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. " We don't   
think that the statue is what affected her. It never   
touched her, and none of us saw it attack her in any   
way. It tried, but we kept it from her.  
" There's one thing that Mercury didn't try last   
night, Princess. Where's the Grail?"  
" The Grail?" Usagi gasped in surprise. Ami   
slapped her forehead with a look of self-incrimination   
and whispered a curse under her breath that made Michiru   
turn pale in her seat next to Ami.  
" I haven't had to use it ever since Chibi-usa   
and I got our new broaches when the Dead Moon Circus   
showed up," Usagi said, deep in thought. " I thought   
it was gone."  
" Things like that don't go away, Usagi-chan," Hotaru   
said with a little smile. " I remember that it dissolved   
when Mistress Nine put it into the machine that would   
have brought Pharaoh Ninety to this world, but Michiru   
told me that you used it almost right after that to become   
Super Sailor Moon."   
" Could I make a suggestion before we try   
anything?" Mamoru asked when he saw Michiru and   
Haruka start to curl up their hands in preparation   
for summoning their talismans. " I think we should   
all be in costume for this, and we should all go out   
in the garden. There could be some funny side effects,   
and this is too nice a place to demolish."  
They agreed and went outside, pausing only to   
change forms after Michiru assured them that there   
was complete privacy on the grounds. A small clearing   
was deemed the best spot by Mercury, who set up her   
computer to scan the proceedings. Usagi stood in the   
center with Mamoru by her side in his tuxedo.   
She took out her broach as the Outer Senshi took   
out the talismans. Neptune had the Aqua Mirror, Uranus   
the Space Sword, and Pluto the Garnet Orb. While Saturn   
didn't have a talisman, she still summoned her glaive   
and held it for psychological support. The three   
talismans began to faintly glow in the presence of   
each other, and Usagi seemed to as well.   
" Do you feel anything, Usagi-chan?" Mars   
asked. When she frowned and shook her head, Mars   
gathered the rest of the Inner Senshi around her.  
" C'mon, let's try to help her out here."  
All four girls partially closed their eyes   
in order to concentrate as the sigils of their   
respective planets burst into light on their   
foreheads. A glow surrounded each of them that   
corresponded to their tiara stones as they directed   
their energy towards Usagi.  
Saturn looked at and caught the eyes of the   
other Outer Senshi. Pluto nodded slightly, and their   
auras began to glow as well, along with their sigils.  
" I think I can feel something!" Usagi whispered   
excitedly as she tried to feel for her crystal. Mamoru   
looked at her and the strain she was under from the   
energy and emotions she was feeling due to the link   
with the others. Then, he saw what he had dreaded.   
The pupils of her eyes seemed to have vanished,   
and all he could see was the blue iris. This only   
happened when she was trying to call upon everything   
she had, or she was badly hurt. His heart started   
beating faster as he stepped forward to her. As he   
reached her and took her hands, his tuxedo changed   
into his armor without his even willing it to do so.  
Usako, he cried out in his mind as he gathered   
his energy together and reached out to somehow help   
her. Dear God, don't let her be hurt, he fervently   
prayed. Usako!   
He blinked in surprise as another set of hands   
wrapped around his, or at least as far as they could,   
as his daughter put hers over her parents'. Her eyes   
had also lost their pupils, but Chibi-usa's face was   
calm and composed compared to the strain on Usagi's. The   
thought of the danger to both of them was the catalyst   
he needed as the power rushed into him from somewhere,   
and their joined hands began to glow.  
Light flashed, a jolt of whiteness that sent the   
other Senshi to the ground in exhaustion. When it faded,   
Usagi was standing there holding the Grail with a   
bewildered look on her face.  
" Mamo-chan, you did it!" she cried out happily.  
" Mamoru did what?" Mercury asked her, confused   
about Usagi's statement.  
" I was losing it, Ami-chan," the blonde said   
excitedly, " but Mamo-chan helped, and I think he   
did almost everything. What should I do now, try to   
transform?"  
Usagi held the Grail up over her head and took   
a deep breath to call out her transformation phrase   
when Venus darted over and clapped a hand over her   
mouth to stop her.  
" Wait, Usagi-chan!" she said in between gulps   
of air. " I don't know if we'll have another chance   
at this, so we can't afford to make any mistakes. The   
healing power of the Grail is based on someone drinking   
from it."  
" Minako-chan, that wasn't a question," Neptune   
stated. " How do you know about that, or if it's even   
the truth?"  
" Someone said they gave me a drink of the water   
that was in the Grail at one time, and I'm very inclined   
to believe that they were correct."  
" When did this happen, Minako-chan?" Mercury asked.  
" It was when I was when I was in England before I   
met all of you. I had been badly hurt in a fight, and   
someone used it to heal me. I don't remember much, but I   
distinctly recall that it's effectiveness is based on   
drinking out of it."  
Usagi frowned and reached out to the top of the   
Grail. The lid faded away and she looked in it.  
" It's empty."  
" I guess it's as good a time as any," Haruka   
grinned, got up and handed a bottle to Mamoru that she   
took out of her space. It was the one that she had shown   
them the previous night at the concert.  
" That's from a winery in France that I'm holding   
in trust for you, Usagi-chan," Pluto explained. " I've   
kept that place running for a long time and was just   
able to buy out the owners a few years ago. Their grapes   
are descendants of the fruit of the vines from the Moon   
Kingdom."  
Mamoru took the green glass bottle and uncorked it   
with the opener on the Swiss army knife that Haruka handed   
to him from the same space. A heady aroma filled the air   
around him, and he reached over to pour a small amount into   
the Grail. Usagi smiled at him and lifted it to her mouth   
with both hands, winked at him over the rim, and drank.  
Her winged broach began to glow with a bright light   
from the crystal within that made them look away until it   
faded, leaving a familiar red and gold, heart shaped broach   
in it's place. The song from her crystal burst into a   
crescendo that filled the silence within her. It was   
somewhat of a letdown to her, but now, now she knew what   
to do.   
" Moon Cosmic Power, Make-Up!"   
Her outline blurred in a white glow that faded to   
reveal Sailor Moon. Next to her, Chibi-usa had undergone   
the same transformation to become Sailor Chibi-moon. Her   
friends clustered around them to congratulate her, their   
fatigue forgotten in their relief and happiness. Even the   
Outer Senshi had come closer in to the Inner, their   
expressions ranging from small, satisfied smiles on   
the faces of Pluto and Uranus to happy tears from   
Saturn and Neptune.  
The wash of emotions from them filled her up, and   
she felt something inside of her shift in response to   
the caring and compassion, the friendship and the love   
she felt from them, and the emotions that were awakened   
in her in response.  
" Thank you, my dear friends," she said in a voice   
that was impossibly warm and calm for her that made Chibi-usa   
look up in surprise from her place in her father's arms.   
" Thank you so very much for caring about us." Her   
hands glowed as she lifted the Grail above her head.  
" Crisis Make-Up!"   
A swarm of glowing butterflies swirled out of the   
Grail and surrounded them, making all their hearts lighter   
at the sheer, unexpected beauty of the scene. The sunlight   
was fractured into countless motes of color that flowed over   
Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi-moon, changing their costumes   
into their Super forms. Just as her change to the more recent   
form finished, her figure blurred again so that she wore a   
long, diaphanous white gown and she seemed to glow in the   
sunlight.  
The sight of this made the Outer Senshi step back and   
fall to one knee in salute, a move that the Inner Senshi   
emulated a few moments later. Endymion sank to his knees   
in shock at the vision of his love before him, and Chibi-moon   
burst out of his arms to run to her.  
" Mama!" she cried, and the regal woman swept her up   
into an embrace and swung her around once with a joyous   
smile on her face before Usagi and Chibi-usa collapsed   
together onto the grass in their school uniforms, laughing   
together with happy tears rolling down their faces.  
  
***************************************************   
  
The register chimed as she opened the drawer to   
put the cash in that the young man had given her before   
he rushed out with the vase in his arms that was a   
present for his girlfriend. He'd been in a hurry, but   
he was polite, and the way his face had lit up when he   
saw the vase she had made had warmed her heart. He was   
plainly in love.  
She sighed, wishing love would find her, and went   
back to the romance novel she was reading. The woman sat   
down in the nook that gave her a view of the entrance   
to the store and resumed reading. Her position didn't   
let her see the back of the store, or how one of the   
consignment pieces there seemed to shiver for a moment.  
All was still for a moment, and then the squat   
man-thing came alive and looked about the room. It had   
to find something, and that something was mercifully   
near, it's limited intellect told it, remembering the   
instructions of it's creator, the one who it must obey.   
The small shape began to grow, absorbing the other   
clay pots, statues and vases, while sending out   
several tendrils towards a shelf of stylized animal   
forms.  
  
***************************************************  
  
" Are you happy now, Haruka," she said as she   
changed back and forth a few times to show them that   
it wasn't a fluke. They were sitting together in one   
corner of the conservatory, at least the ones who   
were left. Setsuna had left right after she had returned   
to being Usagi in order to try and find out what was   
happening. Mamo-chan had borrowed one of Michiru's   
cars to take Chibi-usa and Hotaru over to her parent's   
house.  
" I'll be all right now. I don't need to stay in   
hiding with one of you at all times anymore."  
" Usagi... "   
" I mean it, Haruka. Don't make me order   
you... " she let her voice trail off in her best   
attempt to stand up to the tall woman.   
" Order?" she said softly, wondering at the   
change that was going on in front of her. The princess   
was at last starting to show some backbone, it seemed.   
She'd let Usagi get away with it this time, as it   
should be safe enough now that she had some of her   
powers back. She'd let her get strong, but not   
headstrong.  
" All right, odango-chan, but we'll still   
make sure you're not alone until we get some more   
information."   
" Haruka-"  
" She's right, Usagi-chan," Rei interrupted   
her. " She's right. We can't leave you alone until   
we know what is going in. It won't be forever," she   
added at the crestfallen look on her friend's   
face. " Just let us do this for a few days until   
we're sure."  
" Usagi-chan, let's get you home first," Ami   
added. " It'll be good for you to relax and unwind,   
and I'm sure your parents and Luna will be getting   
worried."  
" All right, Ami-chan," she sighed, knowing   
that it was just a ploy to get her and Chibi-usa in   
the same place so it would be easier to watch over   
them. She loved them for being so concerned, but   
when they were scared like this, their safeguards   
would smother her. " Thanks for lunch, Michiru-san.   
You're as good a cook as Mako-chan," she said,   
standing and smiling.  
" I'm glad you liked it, Usagi-chan. Makoto   
had already cooked breakfast, and I couldn't ask   
her to do lunch as well," the other replied.  
Usagi looked briefly at her friends, who   
gathered up their bags with the finery that they   
had worn last night. Michiru's closets had easily   
supplied them with something to wear that wouldn't   
attract any unwanted attention, and they left to   
begin the short walk to a bus stop that would take   
them to a train that ran by Juban, and would be the   
easiest way home.  
  
***************************************************  
  
" How does she look?" Makoto asked as Minako   
came out in a duplicate of Usagi's uniform that   
Michiru had given her, and did a quick pirouette   
that made her skirt and hair fly out to the sides   
before she stopped in a fashion model pose.  
" Good, except for the hair," Haruka responded   
dryly. Makoto grinned in response and went over to   
the blonde and began to fuss with her hair and a pair   
of ribbons. Michiru came in and handed her a pair of   
small, soft rubber balls.  
" My cousin's kid didn't really need that toy,"   
she sighed as she sat down next to Haruka. A few moments   
later, Makoto turned back to them. Minako now looked   
like Usagi's sister, complete down to the slightly   
shorter, but unique hair.  
" The bangs are off, but it's the best we could   
do on such short notice. How long ago did they leave?"  
" A few minutes ago," Haruka said as she got up   
to give them their bags with a mischievous smile. " Here   
you go, odango atama," handing Minako hers. Minako sighed   
as the others laughed, and then she and Makoto took off   
to tail the others. If only Rei and Ami hadn't been so   
quick to insist that they went with Usagi, she could   
have removed any chance of anyone thinking that she   
wasn't Usagi. This must be the price, she thought to   
herself as they ran down the street, for not being   
more open with them before.   
  
**************************************************  
  
The bus had been slightly delayed, and it had   
caused them to miss the train by a few seconds. They   
had ran in only to see it pulling away from the   
station. Usagi sighed, and went over to sit on a   
bench and catch her breath. She purposefully chose   
a seat that was at the end of the bench, and Ami and   
Rei seemed to take the hint and gave her a little   
space as they sat down several feet away from her.  
Usagi flashed them a quick smile of gratitude,   
and then closed her eyes to try and shut out the noise   
of the station in order to concentrate. The others   
hadn't seemed to be too concerned due to their   
happiness and relief, but one part of the morning's   
events had been nagging at her and she wanted to try   
and think about it.  
In the past, she had been a princess. On a few   
occasions since their rebirth in this time, she had   
taken on that form again. The fight with Queen Beryl   
and Metallia, she and Chibi-usa defeating the Wiseman,   
and when they stopped Fiore's asteroid from hitting the   
Earth were a few of those times. Somehow, without even   
knowing why or how she had done it, she had changed   
back into that princess.  
This time, however, was very different. She hadn't   
become the princess she was a long time ago. For a brief   
moment, she had become who she was going to be, and that   
scared her. How could she have known what to do?  
It hinted at even more depths to her, and she   
was already starting to feel like she was drowning in   
them. The memories that would surface out of her past,   
and the changes that had been happening had slowly made   
her feel less in control, and this was even worse. Was   
she even in control of her own destiny? Was this all   
something that some deeply hidden part of her was doing,   
and was she just along for the ride?  
After several more minutes, she resorted to her   
usual tactic when this started to happen. It was just   
too big, and too complex for her to understand right now.   
She knew she wasn't the smartest one in the group. She was   
fairly bright, but motivation was her problem. The   
brilliance of Ami eluded her, and she lacked Rei's drive   
to excel at her studies.   
Still, she doubted either of them could even figure   
this one out. As usual, she would try not to let it get   
to her, and hopefully the answer would come, or at least   
a hint would reveal itself. Some days, it was all she   
could do. The days of her just being plain, simple Usagi   
Tsukino beckoned at her from her the past. It had been   
so easy then, and it would be nice to go back, even for   
a little while.  
The cost of that, she decided a few moments later,   
would be far more than she would be able to pay. She   
wouldn't have her friends, the man who loved her, or   
had the chance to meet her daughter. It was a steep   
price, but it was more than worth it in the end.   
  
***************************************************  
  
" Rei-chan," Ami whispered. " I'm worried about   
her. She didn't even notice that train go by."  
" I think it's all right, Ami-chan. She went   
through a lot this morning, and she just needs a   
little time to sort it all out."   
The two girls sat together in silence for   
several more minutes, during which the only sign of   
life out of Usagi was her breathing. I think she's in   
a trance, the raven-haired beauty said to herself. She   
carefully got up and went over to the blonde girl and   
waved her hand in front of her eyes, hoping to get a   
response. Nothing.  
" Ami," she said softly, but not whispered," it's   
all right to talk normally. She won't hear anything. She's   
in a low level meditative state, I think."  
" We're supposed to sort things out while we   
sleep," the girl with the blue hair replied. " Maybe   
that's what she's doing right now. How do you think   
she feels about it, Rei-chan?"  
" About being powered down? I don't know, but I   
don't think that's what is getting to her." She sighed,   
looked over at Usagi for a moment, and continued. " Did   
you see her face, just after she got up and realized   
what she was wearing?"  
" I caught the change of clothing," she replied,   
shaking her head. "I missed her face, though."  
" It was only for a moment, but when Mamoru   
was hugging her, I saw the fear in her eyes. She's   
been the princess before, Ami-chan, but this is the   
first time that she turned into Neo-Queen Serenity."  
" The poor thing," Ami whispered. " That must   
be it. We'd better let her rest, Rei-chan. It's still   
fifteen minutes to the next train that we can take."  
" Speaking of rest, Ami-chan," she said as she   
put an arm around the other girl and gave her a quick   
squeeze. " You haven't had much. You were up all night,   
weren't you?"  
" I'll be all right," she said defensively.  
" Thank you for trying, Ami-chan," she replied,   
purple eyes catching blue and holding them. " I know   
sometimes we take you for granted, and it's wrong, and   
I'm sorry we do. You're always there for us, Ami-chan,   
so don't let missing the solution this morning get to   
you, all right? I saw the look on your face when   
Setsuna mentioned the Grail."   
She glanced at Usagi again, got up and stretched   
her arms above her head for a moment. " I slept,   
Ami-chan, and I'm still tired. There's a soda machine   
over there. Do you want a drink?" she asked warmly,   
fishing in her purse for some hundred yen coins.   
  
************************************************  
  
They had seen Usagi wake with a start when   
the train pulled in, and they had gotten her aboard   
and handed her a soda. Ami darted through the crowd   
and had grabbed them a bench to themselves, with Rei   
taking the aisle seat and Usagi between them. She had   
kept her distance back at the somewhat deserted   
station, but now the blonde seemed grateful for the   
company in the middle of the crowd. Paranoia, Ami   
sadly thought to herself. They'll pay for this, making   
her scared of even living her life.  
The beeping from their communicators brought her   
out of the grim direction her mind had taken, and she   
looked along with Usagi as the blonde took hers out and   
opened it, revealing an anxious looking black cat.  
" Usagi-chan!" Luna called out. " There's trouble."  
" Mamo-chan," she whispered, and her face went pale.  
" He's all right, Usagi. It's not him or Chibi-usa.   
There's a monster loose at a shopping center. It just   
came in on the news."  
  
" Artemis," Minako's voice cut over Luna's and the   
picture on the communicator cut to her. " Where is it at?"  
" Minako-chan!" Usagi nearly shrieked at the   
sight of Minako's hair, sending her can of soda the   
length of the car and drowning out the white cat's   
reply. The picture changed for a moment as Luna over-rode   
the normal video feed and flashed a picture of a small   
stretch of stores before Usagi over-rode that to get   
back to the one who was impersonating her.   
" What do you think you're doing!" she hissed at   
the other blonde as Ami pulled her communicator out to   
whisper on a private line to Luna that she knew the   
location of the mall and that they were nearby. " Why,   
Minako-chan? Why are you trying to get yourself hurt?   
I don't want that to happen to any of you."  
Rei was startled to see tears in Usagi's eyes,   
and reached into her bag for her handkerchief.   
" Usagi-chan," Minako said to the now silently   
crying girl. " I've been pretending to be you even   
before we met, remember? I'm an old hand at this,"   
she said in a cheerful tone of voice and flashed a   
quick 'V' sign with her hand. " I'll be all right,   
Usagi-chan. A few more times won't hurt."  
" V-chan..." Usagi started to say, but Minako   
must have closed her communicator, because it switched   
to Luna, but the cat was now in a small, gray cubicle   
that revealed itself to be the interior of a car. Chibi-usa   
fell into view for a moment with a gasp of surprise as the   
picture tilted to the squeal of tires as it went into a   
turn.  
" Hold it still, Artemis," Luna said as she reached   
forward and swung her paw just over their view, and a   
faint thwack was heard, along with a muffled complaint   
from the other cat. " We're on our way, Usagi-chan.   
Mamoru decided to take the girls out for ice cream and   
a movie, if your parents ask. They like his new car, by   
the way," she said with all the smile that a cat could   
muster.   
" Luna," Ami interrupted. " Our stop is coming   
up. We'll see you there."  
" Be careful, everyone. Hotaru has already   
contacted the others, and they're on their way as   
well."  
" We'll see you there, Luna," Usagi said as they   
stood up and made their way towards the door.  
  
***************************************************  
  
" I knew she wouldn't be happy about it, Mako-chan,"   
the blonde said as they leaped out of the bus window   
as it slowed so they wouldn't have to deal with all   
the others getting on and off.   
" Stop for a second, Minako-chan," the taller   
girl with the ponytail protested as she was dragged   
into a flat out sprint. " We need to change. We'll   
never make it in time like this."  
" No time," was the response as she pulled them   
into an alley and pulled out her wand. " Do it on the   
run, Mako-chan!"  
Sailor Venus burst out the other end of the   
alley, with a wailing girl practically being carried   
along behind her, and turned the corner to dash off   
down the street before any of the on-lookers could   
even react. One, watching her and the speed she was at,   
was sure she'd never make the next corner. Another, a   
large man swathed in a battered, dusty trenchcoat and   
a layer of bandages, dove for cover with a scream of   
fear at the all-too-familiar sight of two girls   
bearing down on him like this.  
At the last moment she leapt to the top of the   
second story of the building, carrying the other girl.  
" Minako!" Makoto screamed at her.  
" C'mon, Jupiter," she laughed as she sped   
towards the edge of the building. " You can make   
even better time up here than on the street. It's   
our own private highway!"  
Makoto's stomach dropped out from beneath her   
as the mad blonde pulled her along to the ledge at a   
dead run and leaped out with an wild laugh. It was   
even worse as she realized this building was on the   
side of a small hill, and that it was a couple stories   
down to the next roof, and she desperately reached   
for her wand.  
  
***************************************************  
  
He gathered his thoughts as he wove through   
the traffic that was moving away from the mall and   
broke into the clear. Up ahead, a small crowd was   
forming at one end of the mall as onlookers gathered,   
and the firemen were having a difficult time getting   
through. So far, there wasn't any sign of smoke, so   
they weren't in that much of a hurry.  
For some reason, his mind kept jumping back to   
that conversation he had with Makoto at the gym. Accept   
it, she had said. It seemed to be good advice, but he   
hadn't followed it very well last night or this morning.   
He still was thinking of himself as separate individuals,   
and that had to change if he was to have a chance.  
Last night, his first thought had been to become   
Tuxedo Kamen, and it was Endymion who had saved the day.   
He could just go out there as that, but walking around   
in armor and sword would cause problems with the   
authorities that he may not be able to afford. If not   
that, then what about who he was to become?  
The vision of his Usako this morning as she   
became the Neo-Queen gave him an idea. He didn't feel   
up to taking the mantle of his kingship yet, but it   
could be a start for him. Those clothes had several medals   
on them, and although he didn't know of any significance   
to them, it would do.   
He closed his eyes after coming to a complete stop   
and shifted forms, removing the hat from it and adding a   
small, star-shaped medallion hanging from the white bow   
tie as he got out of the car. It was a small difference,   
but it would help him remember.  
  
***************************************************   
  
Pandemonium reigned at the mall as the three   
meter tall monster began to methodically destroy   
another building, working it's way down the row of   
shops on one side of the mall, ignoring the other.   
Several police officers had tried to stop it, but   
their clubs had no effect, and they pulled back.   
They had withdrawn until some real fire support   
could make it to the scene, and were trying to get   
the bystanders out of harm's way. Unbeknownst to   
them, it had arrived.   
" Stop! For love and justice, I am the pretty,   
Sailor-suited... Warrior... " Sailor Moon began in   
her usual speech, but it dwindled off as the monster   
totally disregarded her and continued to pound at the   
corner of the shop as if they weren't even there.  
" It's ignoring us," Mercury said as she brought   
up her visor and began studying it from their perch on   
the buildings across the mall. It was humanoid, stout,   
and looked like it was made of fired clay. Her scans   
even confirmed the composition. Other than that, it   
was totally unremarkable, except that it seemed to   
have some semblance of life.  
" It's clay. There's no match to any energies or   
effects that any of our other enemies have used," she   
said to the other two. " It's not putting out anything   
that I can detect."  
" I don't feel any evil directly from it, but   
there's a residual feel around it," Mars replied as   
she leapt down to the ground. " If it's clay, I'm going   
to impersonate a kiln," she smiled, landing lightly and   
half turned so that her right shoulder faced it. Sailor   
Moon landed beside her, followed by Mercury.  
" Mars, look out! There are more of them," Moon   
cried out as a dozen smaller ones swarmed out of the   
wreckage to interpose themselves between the Senshi and   
the monster. These new ones looked like life sized   
animals, but were stylized into more abstract forms.   
They could still make out what they were in some cases,   
and Mercury was especially concerned about the three   
antelope and the cheetah. Both animals were known for   
blinding speed, and it was possible that they would   
have problems with them.  
" Mars Flame Sniper!" the red-clad one intoned,   
and an arrow of flame appeared in her hands, the left   
drawn back and the right forward, as if she was holding   
a bow. The bolt of energy crackled as she glanced over   
at Sailor Moon.  
" Give the word," she said quietly, focusing in   
on the large one with all her being in that strange   
way that still unnerved Usagi after all this time. Mercury   
gasped as lights flashed on her visor and her computer   
began to rapidly beep.   
" There's someone in there!" she cried as a wail of   
terror rang out when the corner of the building gave way   
under the assault. " Mars-"  
" Got it!" she cried, letting the arrow fly to   
crash directly into the middle of the forehead of the   
large one and causing a small cloud of smoke to billow   
out from her target for a moment. That ought to do it,   
she said to herself. It wasn't even a hard shot.   
" It's still there," Mercury cried out, shoving   
the other two to the side as the antelope burst   
forward in formation to dash through the space where   
they had been standing.   
" What?" Mars cried in disbelief. " I hit it   
dead on!"  
" I think you made it mad," Sailor Moon commented   
in an ever so slightly sarcastic tone of voice, as it   
paced forward with the same dead expression, a charred,   
blackened spot on it's forehead, and an unmistakable   
air of hostility.  
  
*************************************************  
  
Chibi-usa had surprised them when they reached   
the outdoor mall by changing in the car while Hotaru   
and Mamoru were getting out. The girl slipped out,   
closing the door and accidentally locking in the cats.   
She dashed past them, ignoring their cries and disappeared   
into the crowd. Hotaru stepped back and crouched behind   
the car, reaching for seemingly empty air.  
" Saturn Planet Power, Make-Up!" she cried,   
sketching an ellipse in the air around her with her   
scepter, and was engulfed in a column of violet light   
that fell as if from the heavens. Mamoru had already   
changed as he got out, and she could see Tuxedo Kamen   
leaping to the roof tops in order to avoid the crowd,   
although he seemed to have lost his hat in the process.  
He was too considerate of them at some times,   
she thought to herself as she sprinted towards the   
cluster of people, flung herself just over their heads,   
and snapped her head down as she cleared the front row   
with an inch to spare. It surprised them, judging from   
the shouts and gasps behind her as she rolled out of   
her landing and resumed running without missing a beat.   
Sailor Chibi-moon was several steps ahead of her,   
having been delayed going through the spectators and   
making a slight detour around a lamp post in front her.   
Tuxedo Kamen had just landed behind her in a leap from   
the second story roof, and would just be in position for   
what she intended.  
" Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" she cried as she took   
Chibi-moon's arm in her right hand and the post in   
the left, using it as a pivot to swing the girl   
around and into his waiting arms. She'd be safer   
there than rushing into a combat zone, she said to   
herself as she finished the turn and resumed forward,   
where she saw Sailor Moon, along with Mars and Mercury,   
being hemmed in between one large assailant and a number   
of smaller ones.  
Fingers crooked, she grabbed the Silence Glaive as   
it appeared and twisted around into a rapid spin as she   
burst into the pack of smaller ones from the side.  
  
**************************************************  
  
" They're moving too close and too quick,"   
she cried out, letting her new attack dissipate   
and preparing her stand-by. She wasn't nearly as   
certain of it's accuracy as she was of the hours   
of practice in the old one.   
" Got it," Jupiter replied as she planted her   
feet firmly on the roof top in preparation. " Pinpoint   
it is. Sparkling Vital Pressure!" she cried, a   
crackling, spitting ball of incandescence forming   
in her hand that she whipped forward in a wicked   
side-arm to shatter against the cat-thing that was   
about to jump on Mercury and send it sprawling.  
" Crescent B-" the blonde responded, but Jupiter   
grabbed her hands to stop her before she could   
finish. " It's Saturn," she gasped as the newest   
Senshi entered into the fray, whirling into the   
midst of the pack.  
They watched in shock and admiration as she   
spun into the pack, moving as surely as if it was   
a choreographed routine instead of a fight. The   
expression on her face was one of utter calm as   
parts of the animals went flying in all directions   
from the effects of the slashing blade, the hammer-like   
blows from the base of the haft finishing off the rest.   
She came to a stop between the monster and Sailor Moon,   
the glaive leveled and her hair drifting down to settle   
perfectly into place.   
Undaunted or unconcerned, it stepped forward.   
Saturn made a little 'tsk' sound and whipped herself   
around, quick as snake, letting her arms out to full   
extension at the end of the spin for getting the most   
power out of the move. An emotion, shock, finally   
registered on her face as the blade bounced off of it   
with a dull, ringing sound and her weapon flew from her   
numbed fingers to land rattling on the ground.  
" Sailor Saturn," Sailor Moon cried out in dismay   
as she pulled her back, narrowly avoiding a massive fist   
that left a sizable gouge in the cement. They jumped back,   
as did the other two, but Mars and Mercury leapt up to   
get a clear shot at the thing.  
" Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"  
" Mars Flame Sniper!"  
" Jupiter Oak Evolution!"  
" Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"  
The cries rang out as a tumultuous wave of power   
crashed into their foe, who was forced back a step but   
otherwise unaffected.   
" Mercury, we can't hurt it! What's going on?" Mars   
asked her as Jupiter and Venus leapt down to take up a   
defensive position in front of the others.  
" I don't know," she replied, bringing up her visor   
again. " It's clay. That's the only thing I can detect.   
This shouldn't be happening."  
" Sailor Moon," Jupiter called out over her   
shoulder.   
" Gotcha!" she called out, pulling her wand out   
of her dimensional pocket, Saturn having darted   
forward to grab her glaive and was now safely to one   
side. She brought it out with a spin and a flourish   
before staring at her target for a moment. Her hair   
lifted up as she did a rapid series of spins, ending   
up on her knees, brandishing the wand.  
" Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"  
A heart shaped, pink explosion surrounded the   
creature, causing the others to look away for a moment,   
and then draw back in surprise. Sailor Moon gasped in   
dismay at the sight of it bearing down on her again.  
" It didn't work! It's not fair!"  
The Senshi pulled back several feet into a more   
defensive formation as a blizzard of roses flew through   
the air and broke over it's chest like a wave against a   
rock. Tuxedo Kamen took advantage of it's momentary   
hesitation at his attack to grab Sailor Moon and pull   
her back behind the others.  
" Mamo-chan," she whispered. " This isn't going   
well."  
" Don't worry, Usako," he murmured back. " We'll   
stop it."  
" How did you do that without changing?" she asked   
him curiously as Saturn leapt in to take the point   
position in the formation as the creature advanced again.  
" I am, Usako," he smiled back at her. " I only   
wore the hat to help me with the disguise, and I don't   
need to hide from you like I did at first." Or hide from   
himself, he added silently.  
  
***********************************************  
  
A huge fist slammed down, passing through   
her Silence Wall as she had expected, and had   
positioned herself accordingly. It seemed like   
nothing they had could affect it. She did have another   
option to try, but shuddered at the consequence of   
using that here. Pluto had told her that she may not   
be able to destroy the world anymore, but she wasn't   
certain about it. The situation still wasn't bad enough   
to try her theory.  
" We can't hurt it directly," Mercury cried out   
as she turned off her visor and put away her computer.   
She darted to one side and then sprang into a long,   
shallow dive in front of it, crossing her arms in   
front of her and sweeping them out to full extension.   
" Shabon Spray!" she yelled and directed the   
full force of it at the ground at the creature's feet   
and rolled out of the dive. " Try to knock it over.   
Maybe we can immobilize it until we can figure out   
what to do."  
Venus smiled in relief from her position at   
the back of the line and put her sword back into   
her dimensional pocket, unseen by the others. She   
had been about to bring it into play, but she didn't   
want to upset Usagi by doing it. She was already mad   
enough at her for one day.  
" Venus Love Me Chain!" she cried out, swinging   
the heart-shaped links around one of it's legs and   
tried to pull it's feet out from underneath it. It   
didn't even budge.  
" Allow me," Jupiter said politely, taking hold   
as well and both bracing for the effort. This time,   
together, they got the ensnared leg up off the ground   
but were still unable to bring it down. Mars came over   
to help, but the three of them couldn't force it any   
further.  
" Neptune Aqua Rhapsody!" a low, feminine voice   
called out while someone else giggled and a torrent of   
water slammed into it from behind and to one side, sweeping   
it off it's feet and into the ground with an impact that   
they all felt.  
" That's my... " Mercury stammered in surprise, and   
then blushed as she saw Neptune and Uranus manning a water   
hose that was hooked to a fire truck, both grinning at the   
joke. Uranus turned off the hose and dragged another over,   
tying it quickly about the arm opposite of Venus' chain,   
and Neptune knotted the other end of that hose around a   
concrete lamp post. Taking the hint, Venus hooked the   
other end of her chain around another post and shortened   
it to tightly bind it down.  
" What is that thing, Mercury?" Neptune asked   
as they combined on a blast of the Deep Submerge and   
Shining Aqua Illusion to try and freeze it in place.  
" Probably a bigger version of what we fought   
last night," Uranus said, pulling out her Space Sword   
and testing the theory. It, too, bounced off the   
creature, taking out only a small nick that was   
comparable to what Saturn's Glaive had. Mars warily   
walked over, pulled out an ofuda and began her chant.  
" It isn't inherently evil," she announced as   
the paper strip dropped onto the creature, and then   
slid off onto the ground. " It may have been made by   
someone who was, or been around something evil, but   
it isn't."  
" How do we kill it, then?" Uranus asked,   
watching it test the ice bonds that held it on the   
ground. " We can't keep it here forever."  
" I think the question is 'Do we kill it',"   
Neptune added.  
" Is it alive?" Chibi-moon asked from where she   
stood with Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen. " We could   
take it to the zoo," she ventured to everyone's   
amusement until a loud, cracking sound caused them   
all to jump back as the ice on it shattered and it   
heaved itself to it's feet, the firehose ripping in   
half. Venus cried out in pain and crumpled to the   
ground as it took a hold on her chain and ripped it   
apart.  
" Minako-chan!" Sailor Moon cried out, using the   
girl's real name at the rush of fear that gripped her   
heart. She slipped from Tuxedo Kamen's arms and ran   
towards her friend as Jupiter threw herself onto the   
creature in a vain attempt to stop it. It shrugged,   
and Jupiter went flying off to land in an unmoving   
heap.  
  
**************************************************  
  
Damn, he thought to himself as he waited for   
Usagi to get clear of it as she and Neptune dragged   
Venus out of it's way. He had to do something here.   
It didn't seem that the Senshi could affect this   
monster. He had stopped the one last night, but he   
wouldn't have the time to shift forms and draw his   
sword. It was almost on Mercury, who had interposed   
herself between it and Jupiter. Uranus was sprinting   
towards the blue-haired girl, but she wouldn't get   
there in time. Her first move had been to protect   
Sailor Moon as she ran to help Venus, and that had   
cost her the time she needed.  
There was only one thing he could try, and it   
was an untested gamble. He had heard the girls speak   
of, and occasionally joined them, in a discussion of   
their powers, and how they worked. The energy he had   
used to enable his sword to cleave through the statue   
last night had been the same he had used to heal   
himself, or keep Chibi-usa alive that one horrible   
night when her heart crystal was taken. Maybe he   
could do something more like what they did.  
That energy was inside of him, and he channeled   
it up into his hands, willing it to accumulate and build   
until he could hold it no more.   
" Tuxedo Smoking Bomb!" he yelled, to everyone's   
amazement, and a bolt of yellow energy smashed through   
the thing's chest. It staggered on for a few more steps   
and fell to the ground, slid, and came to a stop just   
before hitting Mercury. He just had a glimpse of another   
foully twisted, warped stone that fell out of the hole   
he had made.  
" Don't touch... it..." he gasped as fatigue rushed   
in to replace the adrenaline rush he had been on, and   
the darkness claimed him.  
  
***************************************************  
  
" Mamo-chan!" Sailor Moon cried out, racing   
over to him as he sank to the ground. Sweat had   
broken out on his forehead, matting down the black   
hair. His eyes were half-closed. Chibi-moon was   
there a moment later, and threw her arms around   
him, tears running down her face.  
" Let's get out of here," Mars yelled out,   
grabbing an abandoned shopping bag and using an   
empty coffee can to push try and push the stone   
into the bag. At the touch of the steel can, the   
stone dissolved into a fine dust that blew away in   
the slight breeze.  
" It's gone," she called out and dropped   
the two items. Uranus ran over to grab Tuxedo Kamen   
while Neptune picked up Venus. Jupiter was just   
getting to her feet, shaking her head a few times   
to clear it. Saturn led the charge through the crowd,   
most of which had scattered when the monster got back   
up, and she used some of the anger she was feeling to   
get that look on her face that made the rest quickly   
move out of the way.  
" Neptune, the condos are closest." Uranus called   
out as she took a key from her pocket and put the man   
in the back seat of the car she had driven and jumped   
behind the wheel. Both the Moons had jumped in next to   
him, along with Mercury in the front, who had her visor   
up and was already scanning.  
" Got it," she called back and took the wheel of   
the other car there, the one he and Saturn had arrived   
in, using a key from her pocket as well. The others got   
in with her and the two cars sped off down the road   
towards the waterfront, taking advantage of the break   
in traffic caused by an ambulance to race along behind   
it and then onto an expressway.  
  
**************************************************   
  
The feel of a slight shaking sensation brought   
him to, and it was shortly followed by a slight bump   
and a chime. His eyes fluttered open to try and figure   
out why someone was carrying him through the door of an   
elevator. In particular, why a woman was doing it. It   
was supposed to happen the other way around, last he   
had heard.  
" Mamo-chan!" Usagi yelled out excitedly upon   
seeing his eyes open.  
" Let me get him to the couch, you two," Haruka   
scolded the two girls who were hanging on him. She was   
trying to sound gruff, but it wasn't working today.  
" Hi, odango atamas," he said weakly to Usagi and   
Chibi-usa, whose images were slowly coalescing into one   
from the several he saw. Right now, seeing those two   
hairstyles was a big relief to him. " I'm all right,   
you two. I just got really light-headed for a moment,   
and now I'm awfully tired, but I'm all right."  
The elevator opened again, and Jupiter walked in   
carrying Venus, who was making a crack about saying " I   
do " that had the others laughing but he just missed.   
Also on the elevator was a pair of cats. The black one   
made a beeline to Usagi and leapt up onto her shoulder,   
perching there and looking at her.  
" Usagi Tsukino, there had better be an awfully   
good reason for your wearing that old uniform," Luna   
said ever so sweetly, with a hint of steel in her   
voice. " Why aren't you Sailor Moon Eternal?"  
" I... uh... can't, Luna," Usagi stammered,   
trying to not meet the cat's eyes. Luna sighed, and   
then turned to Mercury.  
" Ami, are they going to be all right?"  
" Yes, Luna," she replied, changing back to   
Ami Mizuno in a shimmer of blue light. " Tuxedo   
Kamen is just very tired, and Sailor Venus fainted   
at the shock. They'll be all right with a little   
rest."  
" That's good. Now, will you all please   
change back and explain to me just what's been   
going on here?"  
  
************************************************  
  
" They grow up so quickly, Artemis."  
" Yes, they do. I'm proud of how they came   
together during all this."  
" They're also thinking more clearly about   
things," the black cat said to the white one, leaping   
up onto the roof of the Tsukino residence from a well-worn   
route on one of the trees. Both silently proceeded to one   
of their favorite spots, a flat area right by the kitchen   
vent that would be pleasantly warm this evening and   
wasn't illuminated by the annoying new streetlight   
that was put in a few months back.   
" It smells good, Luna," the white cat said, the   
crescent in his forehead glowing golden in the   
moonlight. " Are you sure Usagi's cooking?"  
" Mako-chan is helping her with the curry, and   
they emphatically told Minako-chan that they wouldn't   
need her help with it." she replied, leaning over to   
briefly rub the side of her face against his for a   
moment.  
" I can see why. Remember the time she thought   
she had cut her finger off?"  
They both laughed for a moment at the memory   
of the girls frantically looking through a pile of   
cut carrots for what they thought was Minako's   
finger. The two were quiet for a few minutes,   
during which Artemis gently groomed the black cat.   
Luna had been through a lot today, and he wanted to   
help her relax a little bit.  
" She's worried, Artemis. She only decides   
to try cooking for her family when she thinks she   
might not get to do it again. A last meal, if you   
will."  
" I'm not surprised that she's worried, Luna.   
That's normal for someone to be worried. She's taking   
it pretty well. What do you think of their conclusions   
about what happened today?"  
" I agree that it's not like one of our earlier   
enemies. Ami's right in that we don't have enough   
information yet, but Rei's theory is probably sound.   
It really wasn't after any people until they attacked   
it. It started in that one shop and worked it's way   
down the mall. All our other enemies have been after   
people. This one had pretty much ignored them."  
" What was it after, then?" Artemis asked her,   
settling down next to her and stretching out. " Sorry,   
rhetorical question. I hope Haruka is right about her   
idea that they can dig that stone out with concentrated   
attacks on it's chest."  
" Mamoru said that the stone that was in each of   
them is the key to stopping it," she said after a few   
moments. " Although I'd like to know just how he knows   
that."  
" The rulers of Atlantis have always been skilled   
at the arts, Luna. It's reasonable that he is too,   
since he's of that bloodline."  
" I know," she said with a sigh, and then turned   
to look at him. " We both saw King Endymion when we   
were in the future. There was a power in him."  
" Of course, silly kitty," he responded, and got   
bopped by her for using the phrase in the tone of voice   
he did. " Did you think he would just be some pretty   
decoration for the Queen's court?"  
" He's handsome, Artemis," a voice said from   
behind them, causing both to jump in surprise, and   
Artemis to stop his slide several inches from the edge   
of the roof. " Not pretty, and definitely not an ornament."  
" Minako!" he said sharply, dragging himself up   
and sitting down carefully in an attempt to regain some   
of his dignity.  
" He trained you better than that, Minako-chan,"   
Luna said crossly, but amused at his plight. " It's not   
allowed for you to sneak up on cats."  
" Makoto's just finishing up down there. It's not   
pretty, but it's good. Chibi-usa had named it ' Usagi's   
Ugly Curry'," she smiled at them. " Luna, why don't you   
get some while it's hot?"  
" Me, too," Artemis said, licking his whiskers in   
a sign of his hunger. " I like curry."  
" Not you, oh wise feline mentor," she giggled,   
picking him up. " I need to have a talk with you. We   
can come back later, there's more than enough." Artemis   
looked crestfallen as Luna ran over and jumped down onto   
the balcony of Usagi's room and went in through the   
window on her way to the kitchen and the smell of the   
food that was starting to drive him nuts.   
" I hope this is important," he petulantly asked   
of his ward as she lightly jumped down to the same   
balcony that Luna had used and then down to a soft   
landing on the lawn. She nodded at him and walked off   
down the street to a nearby park. Minako seemed to have   
something on her mind as she carried him and wanted some   
privacy in order to discuss it with him. Finally, she   
came to a stop in the middle of the soccer field and set   
him down.   
The lights weren't on, and although there was a   
waning gibbous moon overhead, the light from it was soft   
enough to keep them as a pair of shadows to any onlookers.  
" Artemis," she said softly. " Look over there for   
a moment."  
" Hmm... " he replied, turning his head in the   
indicated direction. " What am I..."  
His voice trailed off as a sword was carefully   
stuck point first into the ground in front of him.  
  
**************************************************  
  
She took advantage of the fact that it wasn't   
an urgent message to walk up the long flight of stairs   
inside the royal tower in the dim, morning light as   
the sun just began to peek up over the horizon. Several   
straight weeks of time in a laboratory with Mercury had   
taken their toll, and she'd have to start working out   
more to make up for the missed exercise. It was worth   
it, though. They had, for all intensive purposes, created   
a whole new field of science with the help of the king.  
At the top of the stairs, she paused for a few   
moments to catch her breath before entering the royal   
suite, nodding at the two guards in their dark blue   
tunics and silver armor, who stood aside to let her   
pass. Inside, it was dark in the reception area where   
their majesties held most of their private conferences   
that they deemed too sensitive or private for the   
throne room downstairs. Trusting to her memory, she   
carefully wove through the several chairs and tables   
to the stairway that led to the private quarters   
upstairs.   
The door at the top of the stairs that led to the   
bedchambers on the next floor up was closed, so she   
first detoured towards the small kitchen and two tell-tale   
signs that indicated someone was up. One was a light   
shining through the partially open door, and the other   
was a wonderful aroma that must have came from the same   
place. Chicken soup, she decided after a few more sniffs.  
She slowly pushed open the door and poked her head   
around the corner. Inside, a kettle was emitting a few   
wisps of steam through it's spigot, right next to a large   
pot on the stove. Over on the other side of the room, a   
woman sat in the sill by the recessed window, the clear   
light of morning making her pale blonde hair and fair   
skin match the white robe she wore. Serenity had put that   
spot in just for what she was now doing, looking out over   
the expanse of Crystal Tokyo below her. A small gray cat,   
not a kitten, but not yet an adult, was curled up sleeping   
in her lap, and her left hand held a chipped, cracked, and   
often repaired mug.  
" Your Majesty?" she said softly, catching the   
contemplative look on the woman's face. It took her a   
few moments to respond as she pulled herself up out of   
the depths of memory.  
" I'm sorry, Pluto. I was years away, thinking of   
Usagi Tsukino."  
" It's been a long time for all of us since we used   
those names, Your Majesty."  
" Pluto," the blonde said with a sigh. " You know   
that you, above almost anyone else here, don't have to   
call me that. Sit down, have a cup, and tell me what   
brings you here this early."  
The green haired woman sat with a smile and   
poured herself a cup of tea from the service that   
was on the table next to her.  
" I saw the lights on, Serenity. I've been up   
all night keeping an eye on the flow of the time stream   
ever since yesterday. There hasn't been anything unusual   
happening, so it's safe to say that Small Lady made it   
back."  
The Queen warmly smiled back at the other woman,   
and took a sip from the mug of tea.   
" Thank you, Pluto. I was up all night myself.   
This is the first time we've had her here for any   
period of time, since she started going back. I miss   
her already."  
" I can tell," she replied, grinning and pointing   
at the Queen's hand. The mug had a cute rabbit's face on   
it and 'Chibi-usa' written on the side in pink. Serenity   
blushed, and then giggled, a distinct throwback to an   
earlier time when compared to her usual, warm   
laughter. " I miss her, too. She needs to be there,   
though, no matter how tough it will be.   
" She needs to learn how to make friends, and   
she can't do that here. There were few survivors of   
the attack by the Black Moon, and they all know who   
she is, and treat her accordingly."  
The Queen considered it for a few minutes, idly   
stroking the fur of the cat a few times. Pluto was   
right, but it didn't make her like it any better. She   
wouldn't be able to wake up any more of the survivors   
for some time, due to the damage that Black Lady had   
inflicted in her attack. Crystal Tokyo was slowly   
beginning to recover, but it would take her husband   
years to supervise the rebuilding. Small Lady needed   
to be around people now so that she could learn the   
social skills she would need in the future.  
" I know, Pluto. I'm still worried, though,   
just like this one here is," she said, indicating   
the cat. " Diana had thrown a fit when she was privately   
told by her and Pluto that she could not accompany Small   
Lady this time, and it took all the skill of the other   
two cats and a joint royal decree to ensure her   
co-operation in the subterfuge of a minor illness   
that would cause her to be unable to make the journey.   
The little girl had been sad, but took her Luna-P with   
her to the past.  
" She was wailing her heart out all last night,"   
the blonde said. " I let her stay with us, and just   
finished hand-feeding her a bunch of the chicken. She's   
very lonely right now, the poor thing."  
" Mercury and I finished the modifications to it   
the night before last and installed the new device,"   
she said, and then blushed in embarrassment. " We built   
that for her, and I missed it the first time. I'm sorry,   
Serenity. She was almost in danger because of my   
thoughtlessness."  
" Pluto, stop it," she said with a warm   
smile. " You caught it in time. This won't be   
easy for any of us, let alone her, but she'll   
be all right."  
  
*************************************************  
  
" Minako," he exclaimed in surprise. " How...   
Where?" he asked, turning to face her as she sat down   
cross-legged, ignoring the grass stains she was sure   
to get on her skirt. She gave him an absent-minded   
scratch behind an ear, reached out, took hold of the   
sword and placed it   
across her lap.  
" Why didn't you tell me, Artemis?"  
" Minako-chan," he began, but his voice trailed   
off and he shrugged. " I don't know. I don't think I   
remembered the sword until after we started."  
" I'm not talking about the sword," she said   
somewhat sharply. " It's what it represents." It gave   
a small click as she removed the lower of the two   
crescents and popped it open.   
" Moon Power Transform," she whispered, and   
Sailor V sat before him, the crescent on her forehead   
practically glowing, and the mask hiding her eyes. " It's   
the crescent compact you gave me just after we got to   
England.  
" I became Sailor V with this to protect her,   
Artemis. I pretended to be her in order to protect her,"   
she paused a moment, closing her eyes in concentration.  
" Mikazuki Power, Transform," she murmured, and   
for a moment it was Usagi he was looking at, resplendent   
in her gown, before she shifted back to just being herself.  
" When I finally met them, Usagi was the one they   
thought was the leader, and I accepted that because I   
didn't know any better. I made Michiru tell me what you   
three had talked about that night, Artemis," she said,   
and his blood grew cold. Here it comes, he sighed to   
himself. This is going to hurt.   
" She knew that we had to take care of this as soon   
as possible, and she's right. I never liked the fighting.   
I hated it, but I kept going on because it was my duty,   
and I was good at it. I had to sit there, and watch them   
make those mistakes, all because you never told me what   
this meant," she whispered as she tapped the hilt of the   
sword.  
" Mina-" he began, but she cut him off.  
" Why didn't you tell me I was the leader of   
the group, Artemis? I was their leader, the one   
responsible for them, and I had to watch them all   
get hurt. It would have been different if I had known.   
We could have stopped them without all the pain and the   
suffering we went through."  
" Minako, I-"  
' I had to feel them die, Artemis," she screamed   
at him, springing to her feet to tower over him. " Mako-chan   
died, then Ami, and then me. What came next was worse. I felt   
what Rei went through, and then Usagi. And it was all because   
you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth!"  
She grabbed the sword from where it had fallen to the   
ground and sprang away into the darkness far more quickly   
than he could follow.  
  
******************************************************  
  
A few hours asleep had revived him to an amazing   
degree. He must have put too much into his efforts   
earlier today when he had used a new application of   
his power to fell the monster that had rampaged through   
the mall he now walked through. His over-exertion must   
have led to the fatigue, much like he had just ran a   
great distance.  
It was late, around eleven, and the clean-up crews   
had already done a thorough job in order to let the mall   
open in the morning. Like so many other things when he   
and the girls were involved, it was being categorized as   
a natural disaster by the police. They hadn't even set up   
barriers for an investigation, and were only keeping   
people away from the destroyed or damaged buildings. The   
mall had been open hours after they had left.  
On the left were the shops that had been damaged.   
The first one, apparently the one it had started at, was   
thoroughly demolished. The only clue as to it being a   
pottery shop was a broken sign that had part of the name   
of the shop, and the word 'consignment' on it. Next door,   
in front of him, had been a gift shop, and then a bakery   
after that.  
He had no idea who are what these things were, but   
perhaps he could try and figure out what they were after,   
or where they might be. Both of the attackers had seemed to   
be statues, one marble and the other clay, according to Ami.   
The only common denominator was the fact that each of them   
had a stone of some sort inside of them, right around where   
the heart would be on a person.  
That was what he was hoping to find some trace of.   
Both of the stones had a strange feeling of wrongness to   
them. It made him feel a bit queasy remembering them, just   
like the same feeling he had when he covered a small toxic   
waste spill for his high school paper. It had been close   
enough to the campus for concern, but it turned out to   
be very small, and not an extremely dangerous combination   
of chemicals. A few people had gotten mildly ill at the   
shop were the accident occurred, but that was the extent   
of it.  
Still, the sight of the oily-looking sludge had   
nauseated him at the time, even if he could only see it   
through his camera lens. These stones had the same feel   
of wrongness to them, like something that was warped and   
twisted away from what it should have been. Partially   
closing his eyes to concentrate, he reached out and   
tried to feel anything that resembled that feeling. He   
turned around in a slow circle, hoping for some reaction.  
There! he cried in his mind as he felt something.   
It wasn't another warped thing, but it did feel out of   
place. He rapidly walked to the jewelry store at the end   
of the mall on his left. If the monster had been allowed   
to continue, it would have made it's way through here at   
some point. Now, what in the shop was it after?  
He looked again for that same feel, and soon located   
it. There were several items of jewelry in the display case,   
and one item in particular had caught his attention. It   
wasn't one of the precious stones, however, nor anything   
that felt inherently wrong. It was a piece of clear crystal,   
cut in the shape of a pyramid that lay among the merchandise   
on display. There wasn't a price tag on it, either. It must   
have been put there as part of the decorations in the case.  
A quick look around showed him that no other people   
were around. It was tempting to break in to the shop, but   
that wouldn't be very nice of him, or smart. There were   
several security cameras in places like this, let alone   
the ones that covered the mall itself. The shop opened at   
ten in the morning, and he'd be there to try and purchase   
the pyramid. Until then, it was another long night staking   
it out in case someone or something came by to try and   
retrieve it. He walked away to his motorcycle, drove off   
and pulled into the parking lot for a new night club that   
had just opened. He dismounted, locked it up, and walked   
out the back entrance of the lot, leaping over the security   
fence after shifting forms. It only took a few moments to   
run back to the mall, and take up a position on the roof   
opposite the jewelry shop.  
  
****************************************************   
  
What was all the noise about this time, he   
wondered as he brought himself out of his sleep. Until   
recently, they had been relatively quiet, with the   
exception of when they learned to talk and kept him   
awake for an eon or two with their attempts to reach   
him while they conversed among themselves.   
All seemed well in his domain. They circled around   
him as they must, due to his size, but their thoughts were   
no longer as centered on him. It must be that new plaything   
that had kept them distracted for so long. That thing they   
called life.  
He was actually grateful for it, at first. It had   
occupied their thought for an extremely long time, and   
afforded him a long respite from their ceaseless attempts   
at conversation. One of them had chosen a poor location,   
and was eventually destroyed by her proximity to her brother.   
She had, however, shown them that they could communicate   
among themselves before she died.   
That was the start of his problems. They reasoned   
that if they were aware, then so was he. All he wanted   
was quiet, so he ignored them. They still tried to reach   
him on occasion, but very rarely now. Life gave him peace   
for a long time. His curiosity piqued, he listened in on   
them as he studied the surface of the one who was third   
closest. This life had grown rapidly in all this time, and   
even he could see signs of it from here.   
What he saw and heard galled him. No, infuriated   
was the proper term for what he was feeling. They were   
created from him, the one they should always respect. Now,   
all their thoughts were directed towards one type of life   
and it's actions.  
Man was what they called themselves, he recalled,   
becoming aware of the myriad bursts of energy that the   
predominant form of life constantly flung away from their   
home on the third closest. This energy had patterns to it,   
he recalled from what he had heard as he began to awake. It   
wasn't the random discharge that his creations or he, himself   
made.   
No, this was done with meaning. He looked into his   
memory of what they had emitted and deciphered the pattern.   
Information. That's what they were sending out to annoy him.   
Most of it wasn't intentionally hurled out into space, but   
that's where it went anyway, even if it seemed like they   
knew, but didn't care.  
Man was short lived, apparently, but reproduced itself   
before passing on to let this cycle continue. Most of their   
lives were spent finding sustenance, at least at first, but   
their recent enlightenment had enabled them to have more   
time free for other things, like poking into everything   
around them in an attempt to see what it was. He was   
flattered by their investigation of him at first, as it   
showed they knew and respected the one who had created them.   
Finally, he came to fully realize the temerity of   
these upstarts, and his anger grew and grew. They had   
the gall to try and reproduce his power. Man must   
think he could supplant him, their ultimate creator.   
It wasn't even close to the sustained power that he   
had, and used the tremendously inefficient and   
inelegant method of breaking things apart as opposed   
to combining them, but they were looking into that   
as well.  
What was almost as bad was that the ones who   
were created of him. While he had slept, Man had   
crept out to briefly exist on or near all of them,   
and had seduced them away from their proper respect.   
Man would have to pay, as well as the others. They   
were actively helping Man to grow, without any regards   
to the consequences.   
He examined this link between them, and a plan   
grew in his mind. There was an ideal way to punish   
both for their transgressions against him.  
  
**************************************************  
  
" Hi, Luna," the blonde girl said from her   
perch on the roof just before dawn.   
" Minako-chan, what are you doing here?" the   
cat said in surprise, padding over sit next to the   
girl. Minako looked like she hadn't slept all night,   
and had been crying.   
" I took over for Mako-chan a couple of hours   
ago."  
" Usagi won't like this. You all told her that   
you wouldn't do this."  
" She'll only find out if you say anything,   
Luna," the girl ventured, obviously hoping to recruit   
her to a conspiracy. Minako listened to the snoring   
that came out the window below them, and smiled a   
moment. " I need your help, Luna."  
" I'm not really your guardian, Minako-chan, but   
I'll be glad to try," the cat responded. " Why didn't   
you two come back last night? The curry was surprisingly   
good."  
" We had a fight last night," the girl responded   
with a sigh. " Then I went out and got into some trouble."  
At the worried look in the cat's eyes, the girl   
reached over and put the morning newspaper down in   
front of her so the cat could see it.  
" Oh, my!" the cat exclaimed. One of the pictures   
on the cover was a grainy, slightly blurred image of a   
woman in white, blue and red hurling a cloud of golden   
hearts into a group of several gunmen. The banner   
headline announced Sailor V's return. Silently, the   
girl put another paper down on top of it. This one   
proclaimed her starting a war on crime.  
" Minako," the cat said sharply. " What were   
you doing?"  
" Two muggings, a robbery, stopped a suicide,   
and bagged a drug dealer along with his cronies. I   
didn't see the photographer, or I would have gotten   
his camera." She stopped a few moments to sniffle   
again, and wiped her nose with a handkerchief. " I'll   
deal with Usagi and the others on this, but will you   
please try and find Artemis for me, and let him know   
that I'm not really angry at him? I was hurt and   
confused last night, but I was never angry at him,   
Luna, and I want him to know that."  
  
**************************************************  
  
The girl looked up and quickly gave thanks to   
whatever spirit was watching over her today. An angel   
had just walked in, right after she opened the doors,   
and Hiroe, her boy-magnet co-worker, was running late.   
She walked over to the dark haired young man.  
" Hi," she said with a warm smile. " Can I help   
you... with anything?" she asked, blushing faintly at   
how she had drawn out the separation between the words   
and the emphasis on the last one.  
" Yes," he replied with a friendly smile,   
carefully looking her in the eyes. " I wanted to   
purchase one of the pieces of crystal in the display   
case." She glanced over, puzzled.  
" I'm sorry, we don't sell any crystal in there."  
" It's one of the decorations, I believe," he   
replied, leading her over to the case and indicating   
the pyramid.  
" Oh, those," she said. " We've got some over   
here in this case by the register."  
" I know," he smiled at her again. " I just had   
a certain feel off of that particular one."  
" You must be into crystals," she said as placed   
it into a bag and went to ring up the purchase on the   
register.   
" You could say that," he said at her, grinning   
for a moment and giving her the money. " You've been a   
big help to me this morning. Thank you very much." he   
said as he left, and she watched him walk away with a   
sigh. She'd put her name and number on a card and   
slipped it into the bag. Maybe he'd give her a call.  
  
**************************************************  
  
He was startled to find out it was already   
Monday morning when he finally awoke from the deep   
slumber he had gone into after Matthew left him. A   
sniff of the air told him he was in dire need of a   
shower, and also a shave, judging from the rasp from   
the stubble on his chin when he ran his hands over   
his face to try and get the feel of having a body   
again. His feet were a bit unsteady, but he made it   
to the shower without incident.   
An hour of standing under the hot spray loosened   
up most of the kinks in his muscles, and left him   
almost human, he thought with a bit of a smile. Wrapped   
in a white robe, he ventured into the kitchen to see   
what of the foodstuffs had survived these two years.   
Little had, it turned out, but some water slaked   
his thirst for the time being. What was left just didn't   
appeal to him. A quick survey revealed that most his   
clothes were in the same shape as the kitchen. The   
weather was warm, and it was probably summer, so that   
called for lighter clothes, and brighter colors.   
Fortunately, between the remains of his wardrobe   
and a well-stocked travel bag, he was able to put   
together an adequate ensemble with the help of a minor   
cantrip that Kunzite had taught him to clean it.   
The travel bag held a wallet with identification,   
and his stockpile of currency in the library was   
untouched. Gold was one thing the Dark Kingdom had   
aplenty, and he had brought much with him in order to   
aid him the first time he had been here. He carefully   
counted out a million yen and stuffed it in a pocket.  
A check outside showed that the mechanic had been   
following his instructions about the care of the red   
sportscar in the small garage he had built next to the   
building as part of his renovation. The tires were still   
full of air, and although it took him a few minutes to   
lower it off of the hydraulic jacks, the engine turned right   
over and he sped away to a nearby mall. Clothing first, and   
perhaps a little present for Naru.  
  
*************************************************   
  
" I told you I had the right place," she smirked   
at the woman standing next to her on the roof above a   
supermarket that was the anchor store for the small shopping   
center near a public park as the screaming started. A   
white-gloved hand was extended, and the taller woman   
placed a 500 yen coin into it.  
" I guess this means it's time to go to work," a   
shorter, black haired girl said to the other four on the   
roof. " Chibi-usa-"  
" I know, Hotaru-chan," the little girl with pink   
hair replied a bit sadly. " Stay up here where it's safe.   
I want to help you, everyone. I'm supposed to be learning   
how to be a Sailor Senshi."  
One of the taller women knelt down next to her,   
brushing a stray lock of dark green hair aside.   
" That's the right attitude, Small Lady, but the   
first thing you have to learn is when to fight at all,"   
she said, putting a comforting arm around the child. " You   
may not always get to choose when you fight, and when you   
do you have to take advantage of it." She paused for a   
moment to look at the determined expression on the girl's   
face and smiled before speaking again. " Of course, this   
isn't going to be much of a fight if everything works out   
right."  
" It's an experiment, and we're going to dissect   
that thing," the tallest said, putting her hand on the   
girl's head and affectionately playing at messing up the   
pink hair. She sat down, motioning for the others to do   
the same. " Everybody's running around now, so sit down   
and keep out of sight."  
" What?" the girl squawked in protest. " Aren't   
you going to help them?"  
" Don't worry, Chibi-usa-chan," said the woman   
with the turquoise hair as she put away her mirror. " It's   
just like the last time. It hasn't hurt anybody so far and   
it's concentrating on breaking the building. The people   
have already ran away."  
" We wouldn't let them get hurt," Saturn said as she   
smoothed out a wrinkle in her skirt. " It's just that we   
need to find out if we can stop these monsters on our   
own."  
" We also need to find out what it's after," Neptune   
said as she watched it make it's way out of the florist's   
and into the square on it's way to the park as the first   
sirens were beginning to be heard.   
" Otherwise, we'll be fighting them for a long   
time," Uranus finished, catching Pluto's eye.  
  
***************************************************  
  
" I'm glad you treated me to this lunch today,"   
Makoto said as she set her fork down. " Those shrimp   
were divine. I'll have to see if I can duplicate the   
recipe at home." The blonde smiled back at her, sitting   
back in her chair and enjoying the sunlight that fell   
through the glass roof of the mall to illuminate the   
patio area of the restaurant.   
" It's the least I could do, Mako-chan. You stood   
up for me yesterday and helped calm her down."  
" Minako-chan, some days you just have to let off   
some steam. I usually do it at the gym instead of dodging   
bullets, however." They both giggled at that and sat for   
a few minutes in silence, broken only by the waiter   
bringing a small dish of a decadently rich coconut ice   
cream for the brunette.  
" This is the one you should try and figure out,"   
Minako said as Makoto savored her first taste of it and   
moaned in delight.  
" If I did, I'd gain too much weight. That's   
awfully good."  
" Now, isn't this a much better way to spend a   
Monday than being stuck at school?" The brunette nodded   
in reply as she kept on eating the ice cream while they   
discreetly kept an eye out for any cute guys.  
  
*************************************************  
  
It was amazing what money did to people in   
this day and age. It only took a few hundred thousand   
yen notes to get the undivided attention of a few   
salesmen and a tailor at a menswear shop, despite   
the crowds. He walked out an hour later in a much   
better sports coat, shirt and slacks, all in the   
latest style, and well-fitted to his frame. His   
body seemed to have lost a few pounds over the   
years.  
Hunger began to gnaw at him, but he shoved   
the thought aside, glad he hadn't eaten earlier   
in the morning. His first meal should be a chocolate   
parfait. He had given his word, after all.   
On his right were several shops where he decided   
he'd look for something for her, and he strolled over,   
taking his time and window shopping before deciding on   
which one to start with. His eye was briefly caught by   
two pretty girls on the level below him who were being   
seated in a restaurant. At first, he had thought the   
blonde might be her, but a closer examination had proved   
him wrong. It wasn't Sailor Moon, or Usagi, the other   
name she had used.   
The brunette caught his attention, however. For   
some reason, she looked very familiar to him, and he   
spent several minutes looking at her in a vain attempt   
to place her before he shrugged his shoulders and went   
into a jewelry shop that seemed to have a good selection.  
A half hour later, the two girls were still there   
as he came out, a tasteful gold and emerald necklace in   
a case in his pocket. They were good colors for her,   
although the image of it around the neck of the brunette   
below him flashed into his mind before being quickly   
banished with a flush of shame. Still, he decided to   
go down and at least talk to her for a moment. He knew   
her from somewhere, if he could just figure out where.  
  
****************************************************  
  
" Three-hundred and fifteen degrees," Pluto said   
as she consulted the compass.  
" Northwest," Uranus and Neptune said in unison,   
looking in that direction for anything that could be   
capturing it's attention. Aside from swatting aside a   
police officer who foolishly tried to tackle it, the   
monster had stayed exactly on that same course.  
" Got it!" the little girl cried, making a mark   
on a map and drawing a large, pink marker along that   
bearing. Both she and the next youngest girl were puzzled   
at the result, however.   
" Nothing," Saturn said in surprise. " It's all   
residential for over twenty kilometers."  
They mulled it over for a few moments, each trying   
in vain to come up with some reason for it to be acting   
in such a matter. Finally, the tallest one broke the   
silence.   
" We'll figure it out later. It's in the park, and   
we won't get a better spot to try and stop it."  
" I guess that makes me the look-out," Chibi-moon   
said, indicating the roof nearest the park and the   
monster. " I'll be up there watching over everything   
and I'll have my communicator ready."  
" Why that one in particular?" Pluto questioned   
her.   
" Uh... it's closest to the battle so I can see   
things the best, I'm out of the way up there, and... " the   
girl said as her voice trailed off for a moment. " And   
the roof's low enough for me to jump down from if I   
have to," she finished quickly, impressed at her quick   
thinking.  
" Well done, Small Lady," Pluto said warmly,   
smiling at the girl, who blushed and then carefully   
ran off to her vantage point, Luna-P in tow. The   
others looked at each other for a moment, and then   
sprinted towards the end of the roof and their foe.  
  
**************************************************  
  
This wasn't good, he decided. Not at all.   
The view from his hiding place was very   
disturbing, to say the least. The general was   
supposed to be dead, along with everything else   
from that horrible place he had called home for   
just over a thousand years. Why was he here, and   
why now? Furthermore, why was he walking over to   
her with a smile on his face?  
He was just about to move in and try to   
attack him when a young man with unruly, brown hair   
and thick glasses stopped in front of him, looking   
at the trio in the patio area.  
" Sanjouin Masato?" he whispered in   
shock. " Naru will be-"  
" Fortunate that I'm here," the man in the   
denim jacket and jeans said, laying a faintly   
glowing hand on the young man's shoulder for a   
moment. " Children shouldn't play with wolves.   
What's your name, lad?"  
" Umino," was the mumbled reply as a vacant   
look took hold of his face.  
" Now, Umino," the older man continued,   
steering the other towards the doors at the end   
of the mall. " you're going to forget about seeing   
him today. Go see this Naru you mentioned, but   
remember, I wasn't here, nor was Sanjouin Masato."  
He got the boy walking away from them, and   
looked back over his shoulder a few times. Nephrite   
had stopped once, briefly, on his way to them, and   
still hadn't attacked. Nudging the lad over towards   
the doors, he quickly walked over to an information   
desk and smiled at the young lady there.  
" Good afternoon. I'm supposed to meeting   
someone here today, and I can't seem to locate him.   
Would you please page him and ask him to come over   
to this desk?"  
  
*************************************************   
  
" Don't look now, Mako-chan," the blonde said   
under her breath as she sipped her soda through a   
straw. " You're being checked out. I think he likes   
you."  
" Where?!" she said in surprise, resisting the   
impulse to look around.   
" Next level up, on your right," was the reply   
as the blonde sighed inside. He'd looked at her first,   
but looked at Makoto far longer. " Brown hair, good   
dresser, by the jewelry shop."  
" Oh, he is cute," the brunette said, smiling   
as she stole a glance upward. " He's walking towards   
the stairs. I hope he's coming this way."  
" He is," she squealed as he started down the   
steps to their level. " How do I look?"  
" 'You look?' " she challenged the blonde. " I   
was the one he was looking at the most. You said so   
yourself. How do I look?" she asked, glancing down at   
her jeans, white T-shirt, and green sweatshirt tied   
around her waist. They had decided to be casual, and   
she hoped it wouldn't hurt her chances now.  
" You look fine, Mako-chan," the blonde said with   
her mischievous smile. " I was just teasing you. If he   
doesn't like you, he's... you know." They giggled at   
that, and then quickly pretended to ignore his approach.   
  
*************************************************  
  
" Dead Scream," a voice whispered.  
" World Shaking," another cried out.  
" Deep Submerge," a third answered as three   
ringed spheres flew towards each other, swerving   
at the last moment before colliding to rush off   
towards their true target as they rapidly orbited   
a central point.  
The crackling, seething mass of energy slammed   
into it's chest, sending the humanoid creature to   
the ground hard enough to leave a depression in the   
soft ground of the park. There was at least some   
sign of effect this time, a smoking, blistered area   
where all three attacks had been concentrated. Before   
it could even try to come to it's feet, Neptune   
rolled to one side, coming up on one knee with her   
mirror in one hand and the other held up in the air.   
" Submarine Reflection," she cried, a torrent   
of energy surging past and around the creature. There   
was no change to her perceptive gaze; a good artist   
misses little. Whatever it was using to resist their   
attacks, it wasn't an illusion. Her hand swept down   
in a signal to the others.   
Uranus charged in from one side of it, her sword   
raising a shower of sparks from it's impact against   
the damaged area, and she quickly moved away out of   
reach, going back the way she came. It had tried to   
turn towards this new threat, raising an arm towards   
it's most recent assailant.  
Reading the maneuver, Pluto swept gracefully in   
past it's guard on the other side and rammed the butt   
end of her staff into it's chest, causing a fist-sized   
section to break off and fall to the ground. She, too,   
quickly pulled back, although the temptation to stay   
in close was great. They had managed to start to hurt   
it.  
Undaunted, it heaved itself into an upright   
position and turned slightly towards the two with   
weapons, ignoring the one with the mirror. She probably   
didn't rate being as much of a threat as the other two.   
Good, she smiled to herself. It was reacting to them   
this time. Her hand came up again in another pre-arranged   
signal.  
Pluto and Uranus feinted attacks to occupy it. She   
launched another 'Deep Submerge' against it's back, and   
it began to turn around. Uranus and Pluto slammed their   
respective attacks into it's front and back,   
concentrating on the upper body and staggered it,   
but it finished the turn to advance on her.  
She put away her mirror and prepared herself   
as the other two circled around behind her. It came   
closer, but she waited as two deep breaths were taken   
behind her and energy accumulated, so much it made the   
hair on the back of her neck rise. Almost instinctively,   
she knew when to move. All the hours of training with   
the others paid off. Neptune darted forward, keeping   
herself low until springing up and backwards into the   
air at the last minute. Pluto's whisper was drowned out   
by Uranus' shout, but both attacks passed just under   
her feet, striking it in the chest as it reached up for   
her.   
The monster was flung back several meters but   
somehow had managed to stay upright. It's feet had   
gouged a set of parallel lines in the turf. Their   
efforts were rewarded as another hunk of rock fell   
from the fissure in it's chest, which was now the   
size of a volleyball. Neptune, who had lightly landed   
just behind the other two, frowned as she judged their   
progress.  
" This is going to take all day at this rate,"   
she gasped.  
" It's time to play our ace," Uranus smiled, but   
without much humor as they ran around and past it to   
set up for what seemed to be another, similar attack,   
standing in front of a large tree and facing the slowly   
advancing monster. The hole in it's chest didn't even   
seem to faze it.  
  
*************************************************  
  
Why am I feeling like this, she thought to   
herself. I've never seen him before in my life, and   
it's like I know him from somewhere. Once again, she   
spat a silent curse at the gaps in her memories. It   
wasn't enough that she had few good memories as is,   
what with losing her parents and all, but she had a   
good feeling when she saw the man who was coming   
towards them. She just wished she knew why she felt   
that way.  
" Hi-" they both said as he walked up, and then   
blushed and smiled, feeling a little embarrassed. He   
finally broke the silence after they looked into each   
other's eyes for a few moments, both searching for   
something.  
" Please, don't think this is a cheap pick-up   
line," he said, still somewhat ill-at-ease from what   
he was feeling. " This is the first time I've ever   
seen you, but I feel that I know you from somewhere."  
" Don't feel bad about it," she said, smiling   
warmly up at him and wondering why she felt so   
comfortable with him. " I feel the same way about   
you. My name's Makoto."  
He smiled and took the hand she offered as   
she stood.   
" Would a Mr. Sanjouin Masato please come to   
the information booth on the first level?" the public   
address system cut him off as he was about to   
speak. " Mr. Sanjouin Masato, please come to the   
information booth on the first level."  
" Um, that's for me," he said, looking a bit   
sheepish. " Would you mind...?"  
" Not at all. I'll wait here for you."  
Makoto watched him leave, and it only took her   
several seconds to realize that Minako was waving her   
hand in front her eyes.  
" Earth to Mako-chan?"  
" Isn't he dreamy, Minako-chan?" She stood up   
suddenly, smiled at her friend and set off in pursuit,   
following him at a safe distance. The blonde sighed,   
reached into her purse to take out some yen, and went   
up to the cashier. I think lunch is over now, she said   
to herself, feeling happy for her friend.  
  
*************************************************  
  
As soon as she made the announcement, he   
slipped away when her back was turned and into one   
of the service corridors, racing the length of the   
mall in a mad dash that would put him right by her,   
if everything worked out right. He cracked open the   
door and sighed in relief as he saw her leaving the   
restaurant. The other girl wasn't with her, but neither   
was the general. His position in an alcove let him hide   
from her sight, and he quickly glanced down to the other   
end of the mall to see the general walking up to the   
information desk, with the other girl shadowing him.  
The clicking of her shoes brought him back to the   
matter at hand. He mentally prepared himself for this.   
She was much stronger and faster than he in her true   
form, but he should be able to manage here when she was   
in her disguise. A deep breath later, he stepped out in   
front of her, snatched her by the arm and dragged her   
into the alcove and through the doors.  
  
**************************************************  
  
The two women in the rear of the formation   
summoned their attacks, concentrating on making   
them as big and showy as possible, just to play it   
safe. It didn't seem to be too smart, but there was   
no point in taking chances.   
" Now!" the one in front cried as she stepped   
forward like she would break in to a run and stopped.   
The two behind her let their attacks dissipate as they   
swept around her, weapons at the ready before bounding   
lightly away in a long, low leap to either side of it.   
The creature seemed confused for a moment, and that's   
all it took as a dark shape burst out of the tree.  
" Silence Glaive Surprise!" the young woman cried   
out, bringing the now glowing weapon down in an arc, trying   
to swing through it's shoulder and chest, just like she   
had been taught by the others, using her momentum to it's   
best effect and now prepared for the possible recoil.  
This time it didn't bounce as it dug into the   
shoulder just above the hole the others had made and   
sheared through most of it's chest. There was a flash of   
yellow light that made her turn her head for a moment,   
and when she looked back it was slowly toppling to the   
ground.  
She stared at it in shock, amazed at how little   
it was affected as the others walked up to examine the   
remains. What were these things made of that they   
could take so much damage? She had been with Setsuna   
up in Hokkaido looking for a place for her father a   
few months ago when the other had decided to try and   
test the limits of this attack of hers after they had   
hiked up into a deserted area of the local mountains.   
The local geologists were still trying to figure out   
why there had been such a localized earthquake along an   
isolated, previously undiscovered fault line that would   
have caused the entire side of a hillside to collapse.  
" I'm sorry," she said sheepishly.  
" Well," Neptune commented, looking at a thirty   
meter gouge in the ground and a tree that was missing   
all the branches on one side along the line from Saturn   
through the decaying remains of the monster. " At least   
we know that we can stop them."  
" Pluto," Uranus added dryly. " Weren't you saying   
something about needing some landscaping done at one   
of your properties?"  
  
***************************************************   
  
" Give me one good reason why I shouldn't   
kill you," she hissed at him, an all too-familiar   
knife pressed up against his throat. She had dropped   
her purse, shoved him against the wall and produced   
the blade out of nowhere. Just like the time on the   
tor, he thought with a bemused grin. Plan on her   
doing one thing and she'd do another. That's why   
he had lost.  
" You know what had happened to me, Venus. Do   
you think I could have escaped from him so easily?" She   
sighed and stepped back, still holding onto the knife.   
" What do you want?" she demanded, distrust still   
in her eyes.  
" The Merlin sent me to deliver a warning, Minako   
Aino," he said, using her other name to corroborate his   
story. " Your princess is in danger from a very old   
enemy."  
" Who? Where?" she whispered in shock.  
" Oracles are never clear," the man replied,   
shrugging his shoulders. " He said the prince was   
the key, whoever he is.."  
" Nice try, Azarite, but I'm not giving you   
anything you can use against her. What else did he   
say?" she said, eyes flashing.  
" He mentioned sanctuary, but that's not really   
important right now-"  
" I'll decide that," she snapped, interrupting   
him. " You're not in any-"   
" Listen," he cut in, waving an arm towards the   
door. " You've got a problem out there. Your friend   
has a crush on Nephrite."  
" Nephrite?"  
" Yes, Nephrite, as in general, as in the third   
or fourth most powerful person in the Dark Kingdom!"  
Mako-chan," she whispered in shock, her eyes   
wide, and then she dashed through the doors and out   
into the mall. He, too, turned to leave, but not to   
follow her. He'd done his part, and there was no way   
he'd risk a tangle with the general if he could avoid   
it. If they chose to fight Nephrite later on, that   
was their concern.  
  
**************************************************  
  
" 'Morning, Mom!" she said brightly as she   
stepped into the kitchen and turned on the overhead   
lights. Her mother winced, and then tried a smile.  
" I'm sorry, Ami-chan. I'd try to be more   
enthusiastic, but I was just in surgery for over   
twelve hours and I'm really tired right now."  
The girl went over and gave her mother a quick   
hug.   
" I know what happened, Mom. The head of   
surgery called to let me know that you were in   
pretty bad shape because of this one. He said there   
was nothing you could have done."  
The woman nodded and set down her drink.  
" I know, but it still hurts. That poor little   
boy was just hurt far too badly in the collision, and   
then it took them an hour to cut him out of the wreckage."  
" I'm sorry, Mom. Why don't you just go to   
sleep and get some rest? They've got another doctor   
covering your next shift, and I'll clean up here   
after I get back from school. I have to talk with   
one of my teachers about something," the blue haired   
girl said as she got her mother up from the stool   
and into her bed to get some much needed rest.   
  
**************************************************  
  
He was looking around for what seemed to be one   
last time for whomever had paged him from this desk.   
She was just about to walk up to him when Minako   
skidded to a stop next to her. The blonde was panting   
and looked afraid.  
" Minako-chan-" she started to say.  
" Makoto, we have to go. Now!" she gasped.  
" Not now, Minako-chan," the brunette   
protested. " I have to talk to him."  
" Please, Mako-chan, this is more important,"   
she implored the taller girl.  
" But..."  
" Mako-chan, I would never think of doing   
this to you if it wasn't important. I'd tease you   
about doing it, maybe, but I would never really do   
this if it wasn't vital," she said, taking a few   
deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart. " It's   
Senshi business, Mako-chan. It's about Usagi, and we   
need to go. Now. Please?"  
The taller girl hung her head for a moment,   
the wistful daydream she had been weaving around   
the man blowing away in the harsh wind of responsibility.   
She straightened up, nodded at the blonde, and the   
two turned and ran down the mall and out the side   
exit.  
  
************************************************  
  
The attendant couldn't remember much about   
the man who had paged him. He had been very non-descript,   
apparently. All she could recall was the denim jacket   
and jeans, and that he was a foreigner. With a sigh of   
exasperation, he decided that this could wait until a   
later time, as a young lady was still waiting for him.  
He walked back past a few stores, looking ahead   
of him to see if she was still there at her seat, but   
his only reward was the sight of the two girls running   
out one of the exits. This wasn't his day, it seemed,   
but he smiled as he took the black velvet case out of   
his pocket. There was at least one thing that wouldn't   
go wrong. The case was put back as he walked to the   
bakery at the end of the mall near where he had parked   
earlier. Two of the parfaits were boxed up, and then he   
stopped at a florist before walking out to his car.  
  
***************************************************  
  
The walk gave her a chance to think a little   
bit. So many things had been happening lately that   
she hadn't the time to stop and try to put them   
into perspective, and then seeing her mother go   
through two drinks so quickly this early in the   
morning worried her. Her mother was a doctor and   
knew enough to be careful, but it still concerned   
the girl. For all her life, she could never recall   
any time her mother had taken losing a patient   
lightly.  
She tried her best to dismiss it from her mind   
and concentrated on the math problem that was   
confusing her. She wasn't taking any summer classes,   
but that hadn't kept her from staying up on what   
would be covered next year, and some of the exercises   
were deceptively easy. Fortunately, her math teacher   
considered her his star pupil and would be glad to   
help her out.  
The classes were just letting out as she turned   
the corner by school. She was about to quicken her   
pace when a red sportscar flashed past her. Her heart   
suddenly jumped into her throat at the sight of the   
driver. No, she said to herself, it couldn't be...  
The car turned into the school parking lot as   
her blood turned to ice. None of the students or the   
teachers drove anything like that. She didn't really   
pay attention to the gossip, but she would have heard   
about anyone having a car like that.  
The final piece of the puzzle clicked into place   
as she sprang forward into an all out sprint for the   
school. She wasn't in any summer classes herself,   
but she knew who was, and what he was after.   
  
*************************************************  
  
He had tried what turned out to be her old   
school at first, trusting to his memory to find her.   
After discovering it was closed for the summer, he   
sat in his car several minutes, establishing just   
enough of a link to her to enable him to locate her   
before closing it down entirely. He didn't want her   
getting the attention of this Matthew character, not   
if he could help it.  
There was a danger that she could be traced by   
this, so he carefully worked in such a way that his   
target could not be readily identified unless they   
knew her as well as he. It only took about a quarter   
of an hour to make his way through traffic to her   
new school, and he pulled into the teacher's parking   
lot and stopped in one of the many vacant spaces   
before getting out and stretching. His body still   
wasn't fully over the effects of it's long sleep.   
Now that he was this close, he didn't need a   
spell or the power of the stars to find her. He could   
feel her, she was so close. He decided to hold off   
on the parfaits and just took the flowers with him   
as he walked onto the school grounds.  
There! he said to himself, his sharp eyes   
catching sight of her on the far side of the school   
yard. She was sitting underneath a tree, reading a   
book and balancing a can of soda on one of her knees.   
He wanted to run to her right then, but there was a   
fence in the way and he would have to walk around   
one of the buildings to reach her.  
He had just turned the corner and lengthened his   
stride when a blue and white clad figure jumped down   
from the roof to bar his progress, arms outstretched.  
" This is getting to be an annoying habit, Sailor   
Mercury," he said in a threatening tone, frustrated at   
the delay. " Get out of my way."   
" No, Nephrite," she said firmly, her visor   
sparkling into existence over her eyes as she drew   
her right foot back behind her into an approximation   
of a fighting stance. " I haven't attacked you   
because you saved her once before, but I won't   
let you see Naru-chan."  
" 'Won't let me' , Mercury?" he sneered,   
stepping forward. " What can you do to stop me?   
Blow some bubbles, perhaps?"   
She sighed once, and then flashed into a   
spin far faster than he had ever seen the hesitant,   
least combative Senshi ever move before.  
" Shining Aqua Illusion!" she called out as   
a blast of ice slammed into him, making his vision   
blur for a few moments. When it finally cleared,   
he discovered he was sitting on the ground with   
his back against the building. He felt some pain,   
but mostly he was shocked at her power, as well   
as his own stupidity. People can change over the   
course of a few years.  
" I took it easy on you with that one,   
Nephrite," she said as she tapped her fingers   
against a small, light blue case of some sorts. It   
must be one of those computers that Jadeite had   
mentioned. " Don't you understand? She finally got   
over you and has moved on. She's happy with someone   
now, someone who loves her.  
" If you show up now, think of the pain you'll   
cause Naru-chan. I would think that if you really   
cared for her, you wouldn't want to hurt her."  
He crossed his legs, put his elbows on his   
knees and buried his face in his hands.  
" She's all that kept me going, Mercury. The   
thought of her kept me from going mad. I know she   
still loves me. Please, don't take that away from   
me. Not now."  
" I can't take the past away from you,   
Nephrite, but I won't let you ruin what she has   
now."  
He stood up, looking once in her direction   
and then sighed before turning and walking away,   
letting the flowers lay on the ground where they   
had fallen.  
" This doesn't give me much to live for,   
Mercury," he said as he departed and she watched   
him go to his car and get in. It started with a deep   
roar, but he was very restrained in his driving as   
he pulled out of the parking lot and out onto the   
streets, the only sign of his distress being the   
pink box with the parfaits that was flung out the   
window.  
  
****************************************************  
  
The two girls were out of breath after running   
up the stairs to the temple, where Rei and Usagi had   
just finished sweeping up some of the leaves and   
were carefully arranging the pile for burning. It   
was as much a desire to get rid of them as it was   
an excuse to roast some of the sweet potatoes that   
sat on the porch in a bag by Usagi's purse.  
Mamoru sat next to the purse, but had apparently   
fallen asleep. He looked tired to the two who had just   
gotten there.  
" You're just in time," Usagi said. " We've got   
some sweet potatoes and Ami's on her way over. She   
just called."  
" We've got a problem," Minako announced, trying   
to catch her breath.  
" I wish you'd just tell me," Makoto   
complained. " She had us running every step of   
the way but wouldn't tell me what it was about. I'd   
just met this cute guy who reminded me of my sempai."  
Usagi and Rei had begun to smile at this until   
Minako cut them off.  
" Since when does your sempai look like   
Nephrite?" she said quietly.  
" Nephrite!" the other three exclaimed,   
waking Mamoru.  
" That was Nephrite?" Makoto gasped in   
dismay.  
" Minako-chan, you never saw him," Usagi   
said. " How do you know it was him?"   
The blonde was about to answer when a shout   
interrupted her and Mercury came bounding up the   
stairs.  
" We've got trouble," she announced, reverting   
back and sitting down. " I just stopped Nephrite   
from seeing Naru-chan at school."  
" He's supposed to be dead," Rei ventured.  
" He's not dead," Ami said, " but he's going   
to be desperate. I had to tell him that she's gotten   
over him."  
" Ouch," Mamoru added. " He must be hurting."  
" That, and one other thing," Ami paused to   
look at each of them carefully. " I scanned him.   
He's dying."  
" What!" Makoto nearly shrieked, her eyes   
going wide.  
" I don't know how he's back, but his energy   
levels are slowly but steadily dropping," Ami said   
as she pulled out her computer and brought up a   
display. " Think of a person being like the battery   
of a car. It's energy is used, but it gets re-charged   
as the engine runs. We do the same thing with food and   
rest."  
" So his alternator is broken, Ami-chan?" Usagi   
asked, to the girl's surprise.  
" Don't be fooled," Rei informed the others,   
seizing the opportunity. " If that hadn't happened   
to her father's car last month she wouldn't have a   
clue as to what Ami said."  
Usagi responded by sticking her tongue out at   
Rei, who reciprocated for a few moments before giving   
up and flashing a quick smile at her friend.  
" We have to find him," Usagi decided a few   
moments later.  
" I agree with her," Minako said. " he's too   
dangerous to let wander around until we can find   
out his real motives."  
" He's from the Dark Kingdom," a voice   
added unexpectedly, causing them to jump in   
surprise. " I would think his motives are   
perfectly clear."  
" Michiru." Ami said in surprise, looking   
at the woman who leaned against a tree several   
feet away from them. None had noticed her   
approach.   
" He's not like that!" Usagi exclaimed in   
protest. " He saved Naru-chan because he loved   
her."  
Rei and Ami nodded in agreement, but the   
older girl was unmoved. She insisted on joining   
them, along with Haruka, who came up the stairs   
at a run a few minutes later, when they went to   
look in on the former general.  
  
***********************************************  
  
" So what brought you over this afternoon,   
Michiru-san?" Ami asked as she brought up a   
display on her computer to start trying to find   
the energy pattern she had scanned earlier in the   
day. Usagi had started roasting a few of the   
potatoes, just in case it took a little while for   
the search. Rei was looking on over her shoulder   
while Makoto was sitting by Usagi, quietly berating   
herself for falling in love again so easily while   
Minako tried to console her. Mamoru was inside in   
the kitchen, making himself some coffee.  
" I was a little worried seeing you go up the   
steps in costume, Ami-chan," she replied, seeming to   
avoid the question for a few moments before continuing,   
and she carefully glanced back at the group by the   
fire before speaking again. " We came over to tell   
you that these things aren't unstoppable. We beat   
one this morning."  
" That's great, Michiru!" Rei said. " How did   
you do it?"  
" We ganged up on it, and just kept hitting it   
in the chest. Haruka and I have fought together for   
a long time, so we're used to working together, and   
Setsuna is smart enough to follow her lead."  
" So we can hurt them. What was I doing wrong,   
then?"  
" You need to hit it in the chest, Rei-chan,   
not in the head." Ami replied absent-mindedly as   
she worked, continuing to narrow the parameters. At   
Rei's urging, Michiru gave her some more details   
about the fight and how Hotaru had finished it. None   
of the three noticed the figure who had walked up   
behind them as they spoke.  
" Will you two do me a favor?" the older girl   
asked suddenly. At their nods, she resumed   
speaking. " Let us tell them about it. Chibi-usa   
was there, serving as our look-out, and we don't   
want them to get the idea that she was in danger."  
" Don't worry, Michiru," Mamoru said as he   
handed her a cup and paused to take a sip from   
his. " Save from when you three tried killing   
Hotaru at the planetarium, I don't think Setsuna   
is capable of putting her Small Lady in danger. I   
think we must have asked her to baby-sit a few too   
many times in the future," he finished with a warm   
smile designed to put her mind at ease.  
" Thank you, Mamoru," she replied gratefully,   
nodding her head. " She did very well, except for   
wanting to get into the fight itself. I just wish   
Hotaru had left something behind for us to look at.   
She got a little... exuberant at the end.  
" She, Setsuna and Chibi-usa are trying to   
look for what it was after, but I don't think   
they'll find anything."   
Mamoru smiled again and reached into a pocket.  
" I'm sorry, but I had a long night staking   
out that mall where we fought, and forgot to   
mention it earlier," he said, bringing out a small,   
sealed, plastic bag with a crystal pyramid   
inside. " I found this later that same night."  
Michiru gasped when she touched it, and then   
spent a long minute examining it and looking at it's   
reflection in her mirror.  
" If it was allowed to continue," Mamoru said   
quietly as she looked at it. " It would have eventually   
gone right through the shop I bought this at. I'll go   
over later on to that park and look for another."   
Ami's computer began to beep and Usagi groaned,   
knowing she wouldn't be able to have her snack now.  
" I've got it," Ami announced, matching the scan   
results to a map of the city.  
" I know that place," Rei said in surprise. " It's   
an old cathedral my school used to run a long time ago.   
They sold it off a few years ago to some guy who showed   
up out of nowhere with a lot of cash and... " her voice   
trailed off as she realized just who it had been sold   
to.   
  
**************************************************  
  
" Is this it?"   
Ami nodded in reply to Haruka's question, and   
the tall girl pulled the family van over to the side   
of the road and parked it, muttering a curse under   
her breath regarding it's lack of power and style.   
All eight of them got out, looking at the driveway a   
hundred yards ahead that presumable led to the cathedral,   
the top of which was just visible over the trees that   
lined the gently curving, hillside road.  
" Costumes, everyone," Minako said softly as she   
reached for her wand.  
" He knows who we are," Usagi protested. " Won't   
it just provoke him?"  
" He knows who some of us are, Usagi-chan," Michiru   
replied as she and the others changed. " Let's not give   
him any clues as to who the rest of us are."  
" Let's go," Uranus said, beginning to walk   
towards that same driveway. " Which one of you two   
is supposed to have killed him, anyway?" she asked   
looking first at Mercury and then Sailor Moon, who   
had just finished transforming. " You certainly didn't   
do a very thorough job of it."  
" Zoicite," Mercury replied, still scanning with   
her visor over her eyes. " Or, at least some youma   
under his command."  
" That explains it, then. I knew at least Mars   
wasn't that sloppy."  
Mars briefly stuck her tongue out at Moon, who   
returned the insult until Jupiter pantomimed slapping   
her in the back of the head as they turned to start   
making their way up the driveway. The only sounds   
they heard were the singing of the birds, the low hum   
of Mercury's computer and the sounds of their feet   
on the pavement.  
  
*************************************************  
  
The warning from one of his wards being broken   
brought him out of the sleep he had fallen into   
upon returning from her school and crying like he   
hadn't since he was a very small child. Eight   
people, and not just some locals. These had power,   
and since he had met Sailor Mercury earlier in the   
day, he had a good idea of who it would be.  
He ran into the center of the cathedral   
and looked at the stars projected there, calling   
upon their energy to see what was happening as   
well as changing his clothes to his usual gray   
uniform. Four of them were familiar, Moon, Mercury,   
Mars and Tuxedo Kamen. Two of the others were on   
the photos Matthew had given him, another blonde   
and the brunette who made something stir deep in   
his mind. He had no idea as to the identity of the   
other two, but he did recall there being more than   
just five Senshi in the past. Beryl had counted on   
only four being present, to her detriment.  
The two he didn't know seemed to be taking   
positions up outside the building to keep watch   
for any attacks or to rescue the others if this   
was a trap. They must be the other Senshi, the   
ones who spent little time at the Moon Kingdom.   
That left the other six to enter through the front   
door of the building, and he had no idea of what   
they wanted.  
It was only a few paces to the projector   
controls, and the room dimmed dramatically in   
response to the switches he hit, and the stars   
came out overhead.  
" Castor. Pollux." he intoned, and a   
constellation above him shone for a moment before   
falling to the ground in a shimmer of sparkling   
dust that coalesced into two identical, man-shaped   
forms. " Occupy the two outside until I give you   
further orders."  
They bowed briefly, and then vanished as he   
drew a handful of the shadow around him and stepped   
back against the wall to await his visitors.  
  
**************************************************  
  
The six people slowly walked into the main   
entranceway of the building, carefully looking at   
the interior for some sign of the occupant. While it   
wasn't full of spider webs, it was dusty, a clear   
sign that it had not been in use for a while. There   
were only a few tracks on the floor to indicate any   
sign of life.  
" Anything, Mercury?" Sailor Moon whispered,   
the darkness and fear of facing an old and capable   
enemy beginning to grip her. The man noticed the   
change in her voice and moved over to put a   
comforting arm around her shoulders.   
" Nothing," she quietly replied. " I lost   
the signal as soon as we came inside."  
The tallest of the girls put her hands   
together and cracked her knuckles, the sound   
making the others jump.  
" It's brighter in there," she said,   
pointing towards a narrow door set in what   
seemed to be a curved portion of wall. " That's   
probably where he is, if he's here."  
" She's right," the girl with black hair   
said, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.   
" Come into my parlor..." Venus commented,   
smiling just a little bit, fighting the tension in   
her own way. " I'll take the point."  
Venus moved forward, followed by Jupiter, with   
Mars and Mercury trailing the couple. Inside, they   
spread out slightly.  
" It's a planetarium projector," Mercury said,   
looking at the familiar sight of the heavens above. " It's   
still accurate, too."  
" Of course it is, Mercury," Nephrite said as the   
lights came up slightly and he stepped out of the   
shadows. " This new technology is a great aid to me."  
The girls jumped, startled, as the door slammed   
shut with loud crack that had an air of finality to it.  
" As she said, welcome to my parlor, said the   
spider to the fly. Venus, I presume, and that would   
make you Jupiter," he said, bowing briefly. " I'm   
honored."  
" Why are you back?" Moon asked, managing to   
keep her voice from cracking.   
" Well," he drawled, carefully watching all of   
them. " I had returned for my Naru-chan, but that   
opportunity seems to have been taken from me, according   
to Mercury. Since that option is no longer valid, I   
guess I'll just have to fulfill the directives of   
those who brought me back.  
" Give me the crystal, Sailor Moon. If you do,   
you can all leave here. I get to live, you don't get   
hurt, and I'll spare the lives of the two outside."  
  
**************************************************  
  
They certainly had been resourceful, he   
thought to himself as he sipped his tea and reviewed   
what he had seen earlier while sitting in his study.   
It only took them two engagements to come up with a   
working strategy for dealing with the golems, and   
they had successfully executed it on the third. At   
least he wouldn't be too bored, he said to himself   
as he put his feet up on the mahogany desk and   
leaned back in his chair.  
Still, for all their power and tactics, they   
relied on their powers far too much. His trap would   
work perfectly, and Matthew had just called him to   
let him know that it was complete. Smiling, he drew   
upon some of the power he had stolen and spun a few   
spells, just for the pleasure of it.   
A tiny, breathtakingly beautiful sprite formed   
out of a ball of fire to flutter around the room,   
her gossamer wings leaving a faint trail of light,   
and she cried out in delight as he created a gown of   
fire around her for the construct to wear. Another   
joined the first, and they began to cavort around   
his study, wheeling through the air in an intricate,   
joyful dance.  
Soon, the power will be all mine.  
  
**************************************************  
  
" You couldn't even take one of my weaker   
attacks earlier," Mercury began in a ploy to distract   
him or throw him off balance. " What makes you think   
you can face all of us together?"  
" Yeah," Jupiter echoed. Nephrite just smiled.  
" This is my game, Mercury. My game and my rules,   
since you were all so kind as to step into the heart of   
my power. Give me the crystal, Sailor Moon!" he challenged,   
taking a step forward. Mars and Mercury stepped forward,   
just as he planned, to shield her from him.  
" Jupiter Oak Evolution!" the green-clad one yelled,   
spinning as a wreath of green leaves formed around her   
hands.  
" Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" the other blonde   
called out, a glowing string of hearts appearing around   
her and coalescing into one that was brought up to her   
lips to be kissed and then flung forward. New attacks,   
but a predictable response.   
" Orion's Spear!" he cried, diving and rolling   
under the twin gouts of energy from his first two targets.   
He sprang to his feet in their midst of the four to catch   
the wooden shaft that fell from the ceiling, the metal   
point glowing blue in the dim light. A quick twist of his   
hips swung his whole upper body and slammed the butt of   
the spear into Venus' midsection, crumpling her over it.   
The continuation of the swing brought the blade on the   
other end up and around to the back of Jupiter's neck,   
although he twisted the haft at the last moment to hit   
her with the flat. The blow still sent her to the ground   
as he finished the spin to face the other two, who were   
just beginning to react. The two unknowns were out of   
the way, at least. They were the ones who concerned him,   
he commented to himself as he sprang at Mars.  
" Mar's Flame Sniper!" the red-clad one yelled,   
a blaze of light forming in her hands to launch a fiery   
arrow at him. You could always trust the fire-users to   
have the temper to match the source of their power.  
" Sagittarius' Recurve!" he cried, and the arrow   
swerved around him to slam into Mercury as he jabbed a   
clearly surprised Mars in the stomach, dropping her   
unconscious to the ground. Mercury wasn't hurt, but the   
arrow had made the attack she had been readying literally   
blow up in her face and joined her partners on the floor.  
" As I said, Sailor Moon," he asked again, almost   
conversationally. " Give me the crystal. You don't have   
a chance against me here."  
" No," the man in black said, stepping forward   
with a cane extended like a sword.  
" You forgot your hat," he sneered as the blade   
slashed the cane in two and his shoulder slammed into   
Tuxedo Kamen's chest to sprawl him out on the floor. A   
wand had just appeared in Sailor Moon's hands and he   
sent this to join the parts of her protector's cane in   
the shadows against the wall with a negligent flick of   
the wrist.  
" This is your last chance," he said to the girl,   
his brown eyes flashing.  
  
**************************************************  
  
Neptune could feel the ground seem to shake as   
their two opponents had slipped past their attacks with   
ease and slammed Uranus down, using their own weight to   
help her along. She counterattacked with a snap kick at   
one's back, but quick as a cat, it moved out of harm's   
way, along with it's partner. Uranus was slow to get   
up, and she knew this wasn't going to be an easy fight   
as they closed in on her this time.  
She was able to avoid the first, only to find out   
it was a feint to cover the other's attack. A kick from   
the black, human shaped silhouette took her feet out   
from under her and the first one dropped it's full weight   
onto her chest just as she hit the ground, and everything   
went dark.  
  
**************************************************  
  
" No," she said defiantly.  
The blow had hurt him, but more in his pride   
than his flesh. He was just able to shift his weight   
to one side as he fell back and rolled out to his feet,   
moving as his tuxedo melted away, leaving his armor as   
he whipped out his sword and sprang forward, knowing in   
the bottom of his heart he would be a moment too late.  
" So be it," the brown haired man said, jabbing   
forward with the point of the spear at the girl's   
unprotected throat.  
" Sparkling Vital Pressure," a voice moaned,   
but the seething, crackling ball of energy in Jupiter's   
hand was no less dangerous as she began to fling it   
forward from where she lay on the ground.   
" Jupiter, no!" Sailor Moon called out, a tiny   
droplet of blood rolling down the side of her throat   
from where just the tip of the spear had nicked her as   
she looked up at the conflicting emotions on Nephrite's   
face for a moment, and then a sword ran him through from   
the side and he and her love collided and fell to the   
ground in a heap.  
" Endymion?" Nephrite gasped, spitting up   
some blood while he realized who it was. "Well   
struck, lad. You've finally learned to put your   
heart into it. I... couldn't go through with it,   
in the end. Naru would have been... most upset if I   
skewered her friend."  
Understanding finally dawned in the young   
man's eyes upon hearing the easy, familiar banter   
from the now friendly voice of the other man.  
" Nephrite? Oh, gods... "  
" Mamo-chan?" Sailor Moon asked as she stood   
up and came to his side as he knelt near the other   
man, partially holding him up.  
" My liege," he gasped, coughing once and   
bringing up more blood. " We never wanted to hurt   
you. She made us... made us do it."  
" Nephrite... " Endymion cried out, tears   
running down his face.  
" Our old foes are back, my prince. Ask   
Kunzite... about the magii," he finished, breathing   
quickly, clearly in his last moments. He struggled   
a moment, raising his head and turning it to the   
brunette who had just stood up and walked over. The   
man smiled.  
" Jupiter, love... I... I'm glad... ," he   
said, raising his hand towards her before it fell   
to the ground and he lay unmoving, the same, small   
smile on his lips and a single tear working it's   
way down one side of his face.  
" Mamo-chan?" she asked again, softly, as he   
began to cry, something she had never seen before,   
forcing the words out among the sobs.  
" I just killed one of my friends, Usako."  
  
************************************************  
  
" Setsuna!" a voice called out, finally   
breaking her reverie as she stood outside a book   
store near a table with several volumes and a number   
of magazines that were on sale.  
" I'm sorry, Hotaru-chan. What was that?" she   
asked, blushing slightly. They were already back   
from getting sodas since Small Lady had gotten thirsty.  
" It must be her boyfriend," the older girl   
stage-whispered to the younger one with the pink hair,   
causing the woman to blush even deeper.  
" I think you're right, Hotaru-chan," the little   
girl commented upon looking at her face. " It must be   
a boyfriend. Look at her face"  
" He's not my boyfriend," the woman said firmly,   
trying to win back some of her respect from the   
two. " I've never seen him before."  
" He certainly is cute," Hotaru said, watching   
the man walk away and turn a corner. " 'Dreamy' would   
be the word, with hair like that and those looks. Was   
he trying to pick you up?"  
" Hotaru!" the woman gasped, visibly startled   
for a moment before relaxing with an easy laugh. " His   
looks are too classical to be cute, Hotaru-chan.   
Beautiful is much more appropriate.  
" Anyway, let's get back to looking. It was   
headed this way," she said, leading the other two   
towards an apartment complex on the other side of   
a drainage canal from the small grocery store they   
had stopped at.  
  
***************************************************  
  
She had changed back to her regular clothes   
and started trying to revive the others and get   
them outside with Makoto's help. The tall girl had   
a nasty bruise on the back of her neck, but was   
suffering no other ill effects that she could see.   
Minako was beginning to come to, as was Rei. Ami   
seemed to be the worst for wear, but it turned out   
to just be a case of washing off the soot. Mamoru   
had wanted to stay with the body, which was beginning   
to turn into the dust they had come to expect from   
the Dark Kingdom denizens.  
What waited outside was the evidence of an even   
tougher fight. Michiru was sitting with her back against   
a tree, and was too tired to even try and help Haruka   
out of the bushes the tall girl was stuck in. Haruka   
seemed to be content to wait it out and was ignoring   
the pain from the various branches that were broken and   
stabbing into her. That hurt far less than what she had   
been receiving.  
It took Makoto a few minutes to extricate her, but   
soon all seven girls were gathered in a loose circle,   
nursing various bumps and bruises, with Ami fussing over   
the slight cut on Usagi's throat while putting a small   
bandage on it.  
" I haven't felt this bad since Kaolinite and   
those two tire daemons knocked me into a river," Michiru   
moaned, swallowing a couple of aspirin from Ami's first   
aid kit.  
" You can say that again," Rei said, wincing as   
she touched the bruise that was beginning to form on   
her stomach. " What happened to you two?"  
" We got beat up," Haruka said with a self-conscious   
smile, obviously reluctant to admit it. " They didn't get   
past us though," she added.  
" How did Nephrite ever get so powerful?" Usagi   
asked now that Ami had finished her work. " He cleaned   
the floor with us in there."  
" It's back to regular practicing again, everyone,"   
Minako smiled, and was hit with several handfuls of   
leaves. She only continued after brushing herself   
off. " He didn't follow through, but he had us."  
" He said we had walked into the heart of his   
power," Ami said. " His attacks had to do with the   
stars, and we were standing in a planetarium."  
" That must be it," Rei replied.  
" Why did he call me his love?" Makoto asked   
aloud, clearly caught up in her own train of thought.  
" Mako-chan!" the other Inner Senshi chorused   
as the brunette realized what she had said and   
blushed, joining them in a few moments of laughter.   
The look on the faces of the older girls was one of   
anything but amusement.  
" Mako-chan," Michiru said, cutting off the   
giggling, " I thought you knew."  
" Knew? Knew what?"  
" You and he were quite an item," Haruka said   
softly in a compassionate tone of voice. " All of you   
and the Generals were... friendly, what with all the   
time you were together helping the prince and princess   
see each other."  
" Nephrite?" Makoto asked, still clearly startled,   
as were the others.  
" Yes, Mako-chan. Rei-chan was with Jadeite,   
Ami-chan with Zoicite, and Minako-chan with   
Kunzite," Michiru replied. " You had all seen   
each other several times that weren't related to... "  
" She used them, I'm afraid," Haruka added. " Through   
them, she used all of you."  
" You mean," Ami said, her voice beginning to   
quiver. " You mean that we were-"  
" No!" Michiru interrupted her in a sharp tone   
of voice. " Beryl fooled all of us, Ami-chan, not just   
you. Nobody saw it coming until it was too late."  
Usagi suddenly stood and walked over to Mamoru,   
who had just come out the doors and walked towards the   
group. He looked haggard, which was a big surprise to   
all present. Normally, he was always in the best of   
health.  
" Haruka," he asked quietly. " Would you please   
give me a ride home? I need to do some things there as   
soon as possible. Usako, would you please come with me?"  
  
**************************************************  
  
A massive sigh of relief escaped him as he   
turned the corner and broke into an easy jog towards   
a train station. He would just make the next train   
to a larger station, and from there he would take a   
high speed train south until he was at least a few   
hundred kilometers away from Tokyo. After that, he   
could travel at his leisure, using the spell that   
Jason had set up for him.  
It was the least the Archmage could do after   
this assignment. First the golems, and now this. He   
found out this morning that he had the dubious honor   
of attacking a target that even Jason was secretly   
afraid of. It was the only rational explanation for   
all these precautions.  
Guided by a light mind-link spell and the   
tracking crystal Jason was using at his stronghold,   
he had spent the afternoon following his directions   
in order to catch up with her. The woman was with   
two others, both young girls, and he had followed   
them for nearly an hour before the two girls left   
to enter a store. He turned off all his personal   
enchantments. The only thing he could do now would   
be to escape via a transport spell that the Archmage   
was sustaining. One word, and he would be gone.  
It's time to use my own, special brand of   
magic, he nervously smiled to himself. He knew he   
was good looking and had never suffered a lack of   
attention from the women he had known over the years.   
It's time to see if she would feel the same way as   
all the others.  
She didn't seem to notice him as he walked up   
behind her as she looked over some books on sale. A   
bibliophile, he sighed. She's certainly beautiful,   
and he could clearly see the power in her without   
using a spell. For a moment, he wished she wasn't an   
enemy.  
" Good afternoon," he said, taking her hand and   
giving her his best smile. " Seeing you, fair one,   
will certainly make the rest of the day brighter. I   
hope we meet again."  
He held her eyes for just another moment before   
walking away and down the street to safety. She either   
missed the silver ring, which he took off and wrapped   
in a silk scarf as he ran, or didn't understand the   
significance it would play later on in the spell he   
would use to defeat her.  
The train station was reached without incident,   
as was the switch to a faster one going south. The   
other commuters were quite startled when just about   
two hours after leaving one of them vanished into thin   
air with an audible crack as the air rushed in to fill   
the emptiness where he had sat.  
  
***************************************************  
  
The young man clearly looked out of place on   
the slightly crowded beach. He wore an older school   
uniform, black trousers and a matching, high-collared   
shirt. The outfit, modeled on old military uniforms,   
was a distinct contrast to the swim suits the other   
people at the beach wore in the summer heat. A few   
of the girls started giggling at how foolish he was,   
but most thought he just looked good, with short,   
black hair and a single, thin braid that reached to   
his waist.  
" Why don't you come and join us?" one called,   
attracted by his looks and eager to get him into the   
swim suit she had brought for her now ex-boyfriend,   
who had failed to show up like he had promised last   
night and left her here alone while the other girls   
were having fun with their dates. " It must be hot   
in that. I've got a suit that you can borrow."  
She glanced over at their chaperone, Sister   
Shannon, who was still stretched out on her blanket   
on the other side of the banner that read ' Thomas   
Aquinas School.' The statuesque redhead, wearing a   
modest, black one-piece, a gold cross and sunglasses,   
was certainly much more fun to be with on a retreat   
like this than the old prunes who taught them during   
the year. They were fortunate she had volunteered to go   
with them today, since she would allow them to have some   
degree of fun.  
The young man turned towards them and walked over,   
looking carefully around with his tawny, almost golden   
colored eyes. It was only when he was close to her that   
she realized that, in spite of the considerable heat   
and dark outfit, he wasn't sweating. His fair skin wasn't   
burnt either, even though he had been out in the sun for   
some time.  
" What are you doing?" he asked.  
" Having fun," she replied, tossing her waist   
length, wavy auburn hair in a flirtatious manner that   
she hoped he would like. " It's a retreat for our class   
so we could come down here and party, catch some sun and   
relax."  
" Catch some sun?"  
" You know," she said, slightly puzzled. Was he   
dense or something? " Work on our tans, worship the sun   
and all that."  
" That's right." he responded, seeming to be   
satisfied with her answer. " Some of you put a great   
value on appearances. Why do you wear that little bit   
of clothing if you want to get a tan?"   
She blushed as he indicated the string bikini   
she wore.  
" We can't take everything off, you know."  
" You should," he said a moment later, his eyes   
glowing for a few seconds. To her utter embarrassment,   
her suit vanished along with every other one on the   
beach for a distance of five kilometers in each direction.   
The shouts and the screams started as she dove for her   
towel and wrapped herself up in it while the young man   
turned, still wearing the same clothes. He called out   
over his shoulder as he walked away.  
" If you're going to worship me like that, you   
should do it right."  
  
**************************************************   
  
The brunette leaned back on the couch after   
putting the empty carton with the others precariously   
piled on the coffee table. None of them had been too   
keen on doing much of anything after the fight   
earlier in the day and had gone to the condo to relax   
and recuperate, as well as to enjoy a spectacular   
sunset from one of the best vantage points in the   
city.   
" That's it." Makoto said. " I'm stuffed."  
" It was pretty good for takeout," Ami commented   
as she absent-mindedly stacked several of the empty   
white cartons on top of each other from her seat on a   
cushion by one end of the table. Rei groaned from where   
she sat next to her, her head pillowed on her arms and   
raven hair pulled back in a ribbon.  
" I ate so much I feel like I'll die," she said,   
not even raising her head.  
" You'll get over it, Rei-chan," Michiru   
replied. " We heal up quickly, and our bodies need the   
extra energy to do that." She sat on the couch next to   
Makoto with her head resting on Haruka's shoulder, not   
as concerned about appearances at the moment.  
" I always wondered about that," Ami said, reaching   
over across the table to take a cup of tea from Minako's   
hands as the blonde had apparently drifted off to sleep,  
being in the much the same position Rei was in.  
" It's pretty normal, Ami-chan," Haruka said with   
eyes closed as she reclined on the couch. " We've been   
in a few more scraps than you have, so we've had more   
opportunities to figure it out."  
" Maybe that explains Usagi keeping her figure,"   
Makoto snickered, setting the rest of them to laughing   
as the door opened and a woman with dark green hair   
walked in.  
" Hi, Setsuna," Michiru said. " Did you get   
everything settled with Chibi-usa?"  
The woman nodded as she took a seat on a cushion   
at the empty end of the table and opened up a carton of   
steamed rice to serve as a plate after pouring a small   
glass of red wine from a partially finished bottle.  
" Yes, but the Tsukino's are going to start   
considering Hotaru their daughter before too long.   
She's staying over there a while tonight, and I'll   
take the night watch so you can rest. You didn't   
leave me too much," she commented ruefully, looking   
at the remaining selection while cracking apart a set   
of bamboo chopsticks and picking up a piece of barbecued   
pork from a nearly empty container.  
" It's not out fault you were late," Haruka   
said. " We got the food right after dropping Mamoru   
and Usagi off at his apartment and called you as   
soon as we got in."  
" I hope he's all right," Makoto added. " He   
looked pretty down."  
" He called Nephrite his friend," Rei   
replied. " I'd be down, too."  
" I got the basics of what happened this   
afternoon from Usagi when she called her parents   
to explain why she'd be out late," Setsuna said,   
taking a bite of a spicy-sweet, Szechwan beef dish   
she liked and putting a few more pieces on top of   
her rice. " Would someone fill in the details?"  
Ami started describing the events of the   
morning and afternoon, with the others occasionally   
adding or editorializing as she went. Rei was just   
about to tease Makoto about the upcoming part regarding   
where Nephrite confessed his love for her when a sharp   
snapping sound filled a brief silence.  
" Setsuna! Your hand," Ami gasped as the woman set   
down the remains of the glass, the stem broken about   
two-thirds of the way up, and began to shake.  
  
*****************************************************  
  
  
  
to be continued in part 3.  
  
  
  
  
  
end. Obligations {2/3}   
  
  
  



	3. Default Chapter Title

Obligations {3/3}  
  
  
A Sailor Moon story by Tim Nolan in three parts.  
e-mail: nomad@cyberverse.com  
  
  
  
Part 3  
  
  
  
  
  
She sat a long time, watching him as he slept  
with his head resting in her lap and she softly  
stroked his hair. He wasn't used to this problem  
they had with their memories, or at least the effects  
of a sudden revelation and the emotional stress it  
could cause. Mamoru had suddenly started crying again  
when they got to his apartment and couldn't stop,=20  
much to his embarrassment.  
Her sympathy and explanation of her own  
problems regarding the same issue seemed to help  
him get over it. They had cuddled for a while on  
the couch as a small fire dwindled down, and he had  
finally drifted off, much to her relief. The sleep  
would help him get over the pain, or at least the  
initial shock of it.  
Even in the past, just as today, Mamo-chan  
didn't seem to have very many close friends. She  
knew of his friendship with Motoki from the arcade,=20  
but that seemed to be his only one here. Maybe it  
had something to do with losing his parents, or the  
time he'd spent in the orphanage. She couldn't imagine  
some couple looking to adopt a child passing him by,=20  
but he had told her that none had ever considered him  
due to the stigma of the head injury he had sustained.=20  
As soon as he was able, he had left it to go out on  
his own.  
Earlier, he had told her of the few things he  
could now recall about his previous life and what it  
was like. As the prince, much like the situation she  
had been in on the moon, their lives were planned for  
them. He never was allowed to have very many friends  
due to the political machinations of the various  
factions of the Atlantean court.  
His tutors were the ones who had saved him. The  
Warlords, the real leaders of the military, had been  
assigned to teach him about warcraft. Instead, the  
four had become fast friends with the reserved,=20  
painfully shy and insecure twelve year old who had  
been placed in their care. The boy learned the arts  
of peace as well as war, with them showing him what  
life was like outside of the palace as well as the  
truth of what occurred on the inside so he would be  
a far more capable ruler.  
The Warlords had many difficulties dealing  
with the old men who had been put in nominal command  
of the armies they had forged into one of the finest  
units this side of the Guards of the Moon Kingdom. The  
king had done it for political reasons, but the four  
generals had begun to use the troops to consolidate  
their own positions and crush their rivals in the court.=20  
Determined to keep anything like this from happening  
when the prince ascended to the throne, they had taken  
it upon themselves to turn him into a strong ruler to  
counter the ill-effects of the current regime.  
The Sailor Senshi were her equivalents to his  
saviors. She hated to admit it, but deep down, she knew  
she would have turned into a horrible, little monster  
of a spoiled brat without them. She never had many  
friends either, save the Senshi, but in her case it  
was the small population on the moon and the  
over-protectiveness of her mother because she was  
an only child.  
Often dragged kicking and screaming ( sometimes  
literally ) to her duties and studies, the princess  
made friends with these young women who changed her  
life. Under Mercury's tutelage, her studies improved  
dramatically. Jupiter made the exercising and weapons  
practice fun. Venus taught her the difference when it  
was time to laugh and play, and when it was not. And  
then, the new Mars, chosen just a few months before  
to fill a vacancy that had been left open for several  
years, which was an unusually long time, showed her  
by example how she was to act. The newest Senshi was  
only a year older than her, but there was a world of  
difference between the two that she was eager to make  
up.  
The prince who had came to the moon and captured  
her heart could have been far different without the  
help of those four men. It made the fights they had  
with them all the more tragic as Beryl drove them to  
  
capture the crystal, with him fighting to protect her  
against the ones who had originally helped them get  
together. Today, he had killed one of them, and it  
was breaking his heart.  
  
*************************************************  
  
Ami ran off to get some bandages as Setsuna  
continued to sit there, blood falling drip by slow  
drip onto the table and ignoring it. Michiru and  
Haruka, by virtue of spending more time with her,=20  
could read the tiny signs of fear in her and were  
truly worried. The most reaction they had ever seen  
from her was mild anger or regret, but never fear. The  
others were just startled, as the tall woman always  
seemed to be able to take anything in stride.  
" Setsuna," Makoto ventured. " What did Ami-chan  
say that upset you?"  
" He specifically said that someone brought him  
back, right?" she asked in response, turning a  
compelling stare on the brunette.  
" Yes," she replied.  
" He specifically said to ask Kunzite about  
the magi, correct?" she asked, writing the word 'magi'  
in blood on the glass tabletop to avoid any confusion.=20  
At their nods, she scowled and spat out something in a  
language that none of them could recognize but was  
clearly some kind of oath.  
" It's Spartan, and you don't want to know what  
it means, to answer your questions. I know who they  
are, the ones who Nephrite said sent him," she said,=20  
taking the tweezers from Ami as she sat down and  
negligently pulling out a sliver of glass from her  
thumb.  
" We're in trouble if they're the ones behind  
it. The magi were ancient even before the founding  
of the Moon Kingdom, and they've got an old grudge  
against us," she stated, looking at the two other  
Outer Senshi for a long moment before nodding, a  
motion which they returned.  
" I'll be back in a few days after I check on  
the time stream and gather some information."  
" You can't leave now," Rei protested as the  
woman quickly wound a strip of gauze over a sterile  
pad which Ami placed over the cut. Setsuna gave her  
a cold, piercing stare as she stood that made the  
younger girl back down.  
" I must, Rei-chan," she replied, forcing her  
voice to remain gentle. " They understand the basics  
of the manipulation of time." Her staff appeared in  
her hand just before she vanished.  
" We need her right now," Rei stated, her voice  
trailing off.  
" Yeah," Makoto echoed. " How can she leave  
now?"  
" Do you think she wants to do this?" Haruka  
snapped as Michiru put her hand on the other's arm  
to calm her down.  
" She has to," she continued as Haruka wisely  
tried to control her temper. " There are nine others  
to protect Usagi, but she's the only one who can guard  
time. It's simple math, Mako-chan."  
" She wants to be with us more than anything," Haruka  
added. " She wanted to be with us in the last battle on  
the moon and she couldn't. It hurts her to have do this,=20  
to stay away."  
Makoto began to speak, but was cut off.  
" I ordered her away from the fight," Minako  
said sharply as she raised her head from the table,=20  
her eyes alert. She obviously had not been sleeping. " I  
sent her away, Mako-chan, because Michiru is right.=20  
Setsuna will be back soon with some more information,=20  
just like she said. In the meantime, we've got a job  
to do."  
The blonde stood and looked at each of them in  
turn.  
" Mako-chan, you go and give Hotaru the rest  
of the night off. She's been with Chibi-usa all day  
and can probably use it. Ami and Rei, go make sure  
everything is quiet at Mamoru's, but don't let her  
know you're there. Mamoru will figure it out but won't  
mind.  
" You two are the cavalry," she stated, looking  
at the two Outer Senshi. " If we have an old enemy out  
there who knows who we are, we'll have to be doubly  
careful. Be ready to move out if any of us call."  
" What are you going to be up to, Minako-chan," Ami  
asked as she picked up her purse and got ready to leave.  
" I'm going to go find Artemis and apologize to him.=20  
We need him right now, and it's my fault he's stayed away  
for a few days."  
  
*****************************************************  
  
The feel of the blanket sliding over her arm woke  
her with a start.  
" Mamo-chan?" she whispered.  
" I'm sorry, Usako," he smiled at her. He must  
have woken up after she had fallen asleep and tried to  
cover her as she lay on the couch. " I didn't mean to  
awaken you."  
" It's so warm in here," she said looking at the  
fire which he had built back up while she undid the top  
button on the shirt she wore.  
" The fire light helps, Usako. I need it for this."  
" What's that, Mamo-chan?"  
He turned away instead of answering her, went to  
the fireplace and returned carrying a small glass case.=20  
For all it's beauty, with a gold frame and beveled sides,=20  
the stones that rested on the black velvet inside were  
remarkably plain. All four were relatively smooth, but  
not from cutting. It was as if the edges were worn off  
from years of handling.  
" I found out I had these right after you beat  
Beryl," he said, putting the case down on the table in  
front of him and sitting in a chair so that the stones  
were between him and the fire. She was slightly surprised,=20  
since he never used that chair. Normally, he sat on the  
couch so she could be by his side. " I don't know why I  
got these at that time, but I was able to find out what  
they were for.  
" It was right after that time, Usako, when I still  
didn't fully remember who I was, when the part of me that  
was the Moonlight Knight was helping you. I was here one  
night, and since it was a little cool that evening, I had  
lit a fire and was trying to figure out why I had this  
case. I drifted off to sleep at some point, and when I  
woke up, they were there for just a moment."  
He paused a moment to take a sip from a glass of  
water before continuing.  
" You could imagine how I felt, since I had no  
idea who these four apparitions were," he said, spotting  
the perplexed look on her face and smiling. " I'm sorry,=20  
I've always been good at geology. Each of these stones  
correspond to the names of my four friends. Tonight, I'm  
just going to try and use one of them."  
Eyes closed and brow furrowed in concentration,=20  
he took several deep breaths before any results happened.=20  
Several glowing tendrils of yellowish energy began to  
drift around him before wafting on some unseen breeze  
to the case and entering the stone that was second to  
the left.  
Moments later, a translucent glow appeared above  
it, forming into a familiar shape in a few moments. She  
gasped at the incredible differences in the man she now  
saw in front of her and the one who had tried and come  
so close to killing her.  
Kunzite looked very much the same, with long, pale  
hair, silvery blue eyes, the gray uniform and white  
cape. What was so different was the kind look on his  
face, serious, but with a glimmer of humor behind it  
where before it had been filled with only scorn and  
hatred. The only other time she had seen anything  
different on the face of this old enemy was that last,=20  
brief moment when he had called out to Zoicite before  
dying.  
" Your Majesties," he said, bowing with a flourish  
of his cape.  
" Kunzite... " she stammered, searching for some  
way to say it.  
" I'm still dead, Princess," he replied, smiling  
at her. " Please, don't feel bad about it, nor should  
you feel responsible for us being like this. It's far  
preferable to what she made us do."  
" If you're dead-" Mamoru began to say.  
" How am I here?" he interrupted. " Remember your  
training, Endymion. You may not really be calling my  
spirit back from the lands of the dead when you do this.=20  
This could just be how you can let your conscious mind  
speak to your subconscious. Your mind is providing the  
images you see, based on what we taught you in the past.=20  
Our mannerisms, our words, our knowledge are all things  
you learned in the past.  
" Then again," he smiled mischievously. " You're  
doing this by magic, and you might be bringing me back  
for a few moments. The important thing is that-"  
" It doesn't matter as long as it works," the two  
men said in unison, laughing together for several moments  
as she marveled at the look on her lover's face. For this  
brief moment, all the fatigue, the pain and the worries  
were pushed aside revealing the face she would see on him  
in the future.  
" Mamo-chan," she whispered, getting up, sitting on  
the floor next to the chair, and putting her hand in his.=20  
It seemed to bring him back to the present for just a  
moment.  
" Nephrite said to ask you about the magii," the  
young man stated.  
" Our old foe," the ghost whispered, the anger  
evident in his eyes. " I knew we had never defeated their  
master."  
" They've sent forth strange creatures, ones who can  
seemingly shrug off all but our most powerful attacks."  
" Remember your lessons?" Kunzite said again, an  
image forming behind him of a small courtyard near a round  
tower. A young Endymion, clad in a sweat-stained brown  
tunic, stood next to Kunzite, who had taken off his cloak  
in the midday heat. A short, squat statue stood at the far  
end, and was the recipient of several bolts of yellow light  
from the young man.  
" Golems!" Mamoru exclaimed, snapping his  
fingers. " We used it because they're so resistant  
to magic."=20  
" And the magi are the ones most skilled at  
using magic," the older man continued in a few  
moments. " Jadeite took us there one day to see the  
remains of their tower. You can guide the others there.  
" I must go now. My time here is short, I'm afraid,=20  
and you've been pushing yourself too hard lately without  
enough regular practice at the arts to sustain this for  
much longer. Farewell, my prince, and take care of her.=20  
She needs your strength."  
  
*************************************************=20  
  
" What do you think of her idea?" she asked the  
taller woman as they walked into the park that was the  
scene of their battle the day before. The parks department  
had already cut down the tree that Hotaru had pruned, and  
a small bulldozer was filling in the gash in the soil as  
a truck full of sod waited to disgorge it's cargo on  
this clear, cool morning.  
" Luna will whip them into shape," she replied to the  
other. " She questioned us enough as is, so she understands  
how to do it. As long as they stick to her plan, it will  
work. Artemis should have been there, though. Tactics is  
his job."  
" She tried, Haruka," she added quickly. " She  
said she finally found him early this morning and  
apologized. He'll be back around, and Minako won't  
be so distracted anymore."  
" She'll be hurt if she won't pay attention,=20  
Michiru. Mars almost fried her," she commented as  
they walked away from a small group of children watching  
the construction equipment. Luna had gathered them together  
earlier in the morning for a practice drill after finding  
out about the results of the fight yesterday. The black  
cat was in no mood for excuses, and had remorselessly  
drilled the Inner Senshi in a series of attacks and feints  
to use the next time they fought one of these 'golems', as  
Usagi had called it, and to sharpen them up in general after  
Nephrite gave them such a drubbing.  
Saturn was the designated target, using her Silence  
Wall to block their powered down attacks. Venus was clearly  
not into it, even more so than usual for her, and had  
nearly been hit by a burst of flame from Mars.  
" Let my try it from here," Michiru said, closing  
her eyes for a moment.  
" Are you sure about this?"  
" I think so," she replied, opening her eyes and  
looking around her." That one that Mamoru found was  
pretty distinctive in regards to how it felt, so I  
think I can find another."  
" You're far better than I am at that. I could  
barely tell when a daemon was around," Haruka replied  
soberly, and then grinned, spying a flash of color out  
of the corner of her eye. "You can come out now,=20  
Ami-chan."   
With a sigh of regret, the girl with the blue hair  
came out from behind a nearby tree, her computer in hand.=20  
" How did you spot me?" she asked, closing the  
computer so that it now looked like nothing more than  
a small cosmetics case. Haruka bent down to pretend to  
tie one of her shoes as a pretext for flipping the hem  
of Ami's long, light blue dress up a few inches before  
standing. " Choose wider trees or wear pants, Ami-chan.=20  
Trees don't wear pretty dresses that the wind can catch."  
Ami blushed at the compliment as Michiru playfully  
punched Haruka in the arm, her normal method of  
complaining when Haruka acted like this. She also  
noticed that Michiru had just taken out her mirror.  
" Did you find anything?" she asked of the  
woman. " I can't find a thing with my scanners." Michiru  
smiled as she held the mirror before her, turning in a  
slow, steady circle before walking sharply to one side  
with a look of satisfaction on her face.  
Haruka looked around to make sure nobody was  
watching before jumping lightly to the lowest branch of  
the massive tree that Michiru had indicated, settling  
easily onto the branch as if she had leapt only a meter  
instead of six.  
" It's on the same line of travel, all right," she  
said, looking around her and peering up into the  
branches. " I don't see anything yet... Wait, I got it," she  
said, leaning down and smiling at the newcomer.=20  
" Ami-chan," she said sweetly, causing Ami to look  
away for a moment or risk laughing at her tone of voice  
and the look on her face. " I need you up here."  
Michiru held her hands together to give Ami a boost  
like a circus acrobat, enabling her to jump up and just  
reach the outstretched hand of the one above, who hauled  
her up on the branch.  
" It's up there, in that notch in the trunk," Haruka  
said, pointing it out. " The trunk is too thin up there  
to hold me, and probably Michiru as well."  
" It's so nice to be an important member of your  
team, Haruka-san," Ami ventured as she realized that  
nobody could see them, with the exception of Michiru  
below. She reached into her pocket and took out her  
wand. " I'd hate to get my dress all dirty and ripped,=20  
since you like it so much," she said as she changed  
and began to climb up the trunk while Michiru laughed  
at the look on Haruka's face.  
  
*************************************************  
  
He took his hand out and piled the last of the  
crystals on the table before the young man, who would  
be the spitting image of an angel if he didn't know him  
so well. They glowed a bright red, and he could almost  
hear a faint, chiming sound coming from them that had  
nothing to do with their crashing into one another.=20  
" That should be enough heart crystals," Matthew  
said, closing the small sack that, in the real world,=20  
could never have held all of them. Here, in another realm,=20  
it would be able to hold whatever was desired by the  
caster.  
" Thank you," Gabriel replied to the projection of  
Matthew that the man sent from another room in the  
stronghold, several meters and a world away. " Everything  
is set and ready to go, correct?"  
" The trap is ready, in case they show up there. If  
they do try anything here, the wards will shunt their  
teleport over to the trap as well. You're safe and secure,=20  
Gabriel. Good luck."  
He closed his eyes momentarily as the figure in the  
suit faded from view and surveyed the grayness around him  
to get bearings. It looked featureless to the untrained eye,=20  
but with all the power that Matthew had ripped from a hundred  
slaves and transferred to him, and the spells that enabled  
him to see here, it was seething with information.  
It took him only a few moments to detect the flow of  
events and he willed himself against the flow towards the  
gates they issued from.  
  
*************************************************  
  
" He's away?" the older man questioned as he  
entered the room.  
" Yes," the younger replied. " We did the  
transfer while he was partially in the realm of  
time in order to keep the noise down from the crystals.=20  
Blood magic is a bit noisy, after all. She might have  
heard him if he went in at the start with that much.=20  
He's on his way."  
" Good," he replied, looking at the pattern laid  
out on the top of the tabletop, clean lines of white  
sand and candles of beeswax. His mind weighed the  
calculations a few times before he took out a small  
paint brush, the kind used for very small details, and  
began to carefully thin out a sequence of lines.  
" Jason," Matthew warned.  
" Don't worry, Matthew," he replied, paying close  
attention to his work. " I want him to come back, also.=20  
He's too valuable to lose. I have to be here when they  
arrive, and you have to back me up. He was the only  
choice I had for this.  
" She, however, is no fool. Even with all his  
power, and that from the crystals, he may not make it.=20  
If he wins, it will take him a few years to get back  
now. If he loses," he continued, blowing a little more  
of the sand away at one crucial point. " This will  
significantly delay her return."  
  
*************************************************  
  
" Hi, Mako-chan!" the girl cried out as she  
came into the kitchen with Luna-P floating behind  
her, joining the brunette and her mother, who sat on  
the counter in a flagrant violation of the house  
rules.  
" Usagi... " the girl said in a mock-threatening  
tone of voice.  
" Chibi-usa-chan," chided the blonde, who pulled  
the girl up to sit with her to kick her heels and watch  
Makoto assembling their lunch. " Mom isn't allowed in  
the kitchen right now, so we can get away with it.=20  
Mako-chan was kind enough to volunteer to cook lunch,=20  
as long as Mom agreed to take a break.  
" Now, be quiet, little one," she continued. " I'm  
trying to get some pointers."  
" Fat chance," the girl muttered, having been  
subjected to trying many of her mother's attempts  
at cooking in the present. " At least she'll eventually  
learn to cook, Mako-chan. She's pretty good a thousand  
years from now."  
Makoto laughed, lifting a lid to stir the  
carbonara sauce while Usagi playfully put a headlock  
on the girl and mussed up her hair.  
" Now, now, you two," she scolded them, grinning  
all the while. " No fighting in my kitchen, or you  
won't get any food." In an instant, the two separated  
and angelically smiled at her.  
" What are you making, Mako-chan?" the girl  
asked a few minutes later, after she and Usagi had  
recovered from a fit of giggling after looking at  
each other.  
" We're having Italian food for lunch. Pasta  
carbonara with saffron, a seafood risotto, grilled  
vegetables, fresh bread and a big salad."  
" Ooohhh," the girl squealed in delight. " That  
sounds good!"  
" It does sound good," Usagi agreed with her. " And  
you'd better watch your portions with this rich food,=20  
or we're going to have to start calling you Chubby-usa."  
The two stuck their tongues out at each other  
before laughing again and the girl excused herself  
to go upstairs to clean up and change.  
" She's really growing up," the blonde said  
softly, watching her go.  
" Forget her," Makoto said. " You've really  
grown up in the last couple of weeks, and it really  
shows when you two are together. What's going on,=20  
Usagi-chan?"  
The other girl got down and filled a glass with  
water before answering.  
" I got tired of fighting with her, Mako-chan.=20  
I'm going... I am her mother, and it's time I started  
trying to act like it."  
" That's very considerate and sweet of you,=20  
Usagi-chan," Makoto replied, giving her a quick,=20  
one-armed hug before starting to chop the olives  
and onions for the salad and getting Usagi to start  
crumbling some feta cheese.  
" Not as sweet as you for agreeing to fix lunch  
today, since I caught you lurking around here. You had  
the day shift, I assume?" she dryly asked.  
" Usagi-chan-"  
" Mako-chan," she interrupted, laughing. " It's  
all right. I understand why all this is going on, and  
I'm trying to get used to it. Chibi-usa doesn't seem  
to mind being under guard all the time, so I gather  
I'll have to get used to it as well. Just promise me  
one thing, Mako-chan?"  
" What?" she asked warily.  
" As long as you're on shift over here, you come  
in and cook more often. You can watch over me just as  
well from inside the kitchen..."  
" Hah!" she laughed back at her friend. " She  
said you eventually learned to cook, Usagi-chan. No  
way."  
" Mako-chan!" Usagi cried out, trying to sound  
like she was getting picked on, but soon degenerating  
into more giggling. Finally, a few minutes later,=20  
Makoto finished her cutting and tossed the salad as  
Usagi took the bread out of the oven at her request.  
" How was Mamoru doing?"  
" Sleeping like a baby," Usagi replied, taking  
her seat on the counter again near the stove. " We'll  
meet tonight at his place to discuss what he learned  
and what we're going to do."  
" I hope he's all right, Usagi-chan."  
" He will be. He's just tired," she replied,=20  
lifting a lid and stirring the sauce like Makoto had  
shown her. " Mako-chan, would you explain to me again  
why we're having Italian and this sauce is yellow? I  
thought it was supposed to be red."  
  
*************************************************  
  
She had just finished looking over the time  
stream a second time, searching through countless  
minute details for any sign or trace of interference.=20  
No sooner had she reached the decision that nothing  
had been altered in the past, nor was anything amiss  
in the myriad possibilities of the present than someone  
knocked on the gates.  
Her heart began to race as she considered the  
implications of that. Euclidean geometry did not hold  
sway over this place, and anyone who wished to contact  
her would have to come through the gates, no matter  
where they came from. The only permanent access was  
from the palace in Crystal Tokyo in the future, and  
since Small Lady was in the past, no one else in that  
time would contact her that way. They'd talk to her  
in that time.  
It wasn't a Time Key, either, she decided as sweat  
broke out on her forehead. The sound and feel was all  
wrong for one of those, nor did this have the same  
gut-wrenching feel of the occasion she got too close  
to herself that one time in the distant past when she  
was new to her power.  
The knock sounded again and she realized that  
she would have to do something about this. The gates,=20  
although they were a powerful construct, were quite  
simple, and if anyone had the power to reach them, they  
could also force passage through them, given enough time.=20  
That was why she was constantly on guard.  
She got up, walked back several steps and faced the  
gates, her staff in hand, the Garnet Orb glowing a  
reassuring red. A wave of her hand opened the gate. A man  
walked through, confident in himself and clothed in  
power, a glowing silver ring on his hand. Everything  
around her turned gray as he attempted to force his  
perception of reality into hers. She let him, for  
the moment.  
The scent/feel of blood filled her, stoking  
the fires of her anger.  
" Greetings," he said, as she realized it was  
the same man who had spoken to her at the bookstore.  
" You're very presumptuous, forcing your way in  
here, and given the source of your power and the things  
your kind did to my sisters throughout the years. What  
makes you think I won't kill you for this?"  
He smiled at her again, but this time the effect  
of it faded as quickly as a wave after smashing against  
a rock.  
" I truly wish it wouldn't come to this," he  
said, his voice just a little sad. " I wasn't lying  
to you. You probably are the most beautiful woman I  
have ever seen."  
" It must be tough keeping track after killing  
so many people in order to amass your power."  
" Please, Sailor Pluto," he implored her. " Don't  
fight me. You can't win. Not here, not now. We... I've  
studied you far too long, and I know your power. I'm  
prepared for and capable of dealing with anything you  
can do."  
She sneered as she motioned around her with her hand.  
" You may have raw power," she replied, " but your  
understanding of this is that of a child's if all you can  
visualize of this place is flat, dull, gray ground and a  
matching sky."  
The butt end of her staff tapped the ground once,=20  
and her orb flashed red in the dim light, replacing the  
featurelessness with a chaotic assortment of images and  
concepts that startled him just a bit.  
" You have more power than I," she conceded with  
a nod as she drew herself up to her full height. " A  
powerful child cannot hope to withstand me, the mistress  
and creator of this realm. Do you truly wish to challenge  
me?"=20  
" I must," he replied, gathering his energy around  
him as she assumed a combat stance, her staff held out  
before her.  
  
*************************************************  
  
" Hey, furball." she said, affectionately using  
one of her nicknames for him as he walked up to the  
stairs at Mamoru's apartment, fervently hoping that  
he had forgiven her for the outburst the other  
night. " I'm glad you came."  
" It's my job," he said, walking past her and  
into the apartment to join the others for the strategy  
session, shattering her hopes for a quick reconciliation.=20  
She came in after him, closing the door, squeezed in  
next to Rei and leaned back on the couch.  
" Aren't we grouchy," Luna commented as the  
white cat jumped up next to her on the table by the  
window, her voice pitched far too low for the others  
to hear. " She apologized, didn't she, Artemis?"  
" Don't start, Luna," he replied at the same  
level. " Not tonight, not now."  
She sniffed and padded over to take a new spot  
a few feet away, but at least didn't insult him by  
facing away from him. She was mad at him, but not too  
mad, he thought to himself as he caught Mamoru's eye  
and nodded.  
" Now that everyone's here," the young man began.  
" Except Pu," Chibi-usa added.  
" Except Setsuna," he corrected himself, " we  
can try to figure out what's been going on. We've all  
been doing a lot of things the past few days, and it's  
time we're all up to speed on it."  
I'll begin, I guess," Haruka said, " since most  
of you know this already. These golems can be beaten,=20  
if you're patient and work together. Luna showed you what  
to do, and her ideas will work if you hold up your end." She  
pointedly looked at Minako as she said the last part. The  
blonde ignored her.  
" They're very resistant to our attacks," the young  
man continued, " but they're not immune. The ones who  
sent them are called the magii, and the golems are after  
these objects. " He held up one of the two crystal  
pyramids.  
" All we can tell about them is that they are  
magic," Michiru added. " As to their purpose... ," she  
shrugged as her voice trailed off.  
" I tried a reading on the pyramids, but didn't  
get anything. What about the ones who sent them? Do you  
know who they are, Mamoru?" Rei asked.  
They're old enemies of Atlantis, " he replied." That  
makes them enemies of the Moon Kingdom, since we were  
allies."  
" Let's go get 'em, then, " Makoto said. " We can  
deal with their golems now."  
" That's what we need to decide," he said a moment  
later. " I know where the magii once had a fortress."  
" He can be the focus of our teleport," Ami  
added. " We power it, and he'll guide us to them. It  
should work."  
" Let's do it, then," Hotaru said eagerly.  
" Usagi-chan," Michiru asked. " What do you want  
to do?"  
" I think we should go," she said, looking at the  
others. " I want to get this over with."  
With that remark several conversations started  
among them as plans were discussed and ideas exchanged  
until one voice cut across the rest.  
" Don't you all see that it's probably a  
trap?" Minako asked loudly. " It's been how many  
years since they were there, Mamoru?"  
" At least a thousand," he admitted. " Probably  
more than that, but it's a place to start, Minako-chan.=20  
I'm starting to realize how to recognize magic. Maybe  
we can get a clue as to who they are or where they are  
now at."  
" C'mon, Minako-chan," Makoto pleaded. "We  
can take them down now."  
" How many of you want to go?" Usagi asked,=20  
forestalling the debate that was about to happen.   
Seven hands were raised, with Minako, Michiru and  
Haruka voting against.  
" We think it's safe," Luna added.  
" 'Sort of safe' is what I said," Artemis  
grumbled. " I'm not against it as long as you realize  
that you're there to get information and get out."  
" That's a three to one ratio in favor of  
going," Ami reported.  
" That's it, then," Usagi sighed. " Tomorrow  
afternoon."  
She wasn't the only one who was startled when  
Minako stood and left without saying a word,=20  
carefully closing the door in her wake. Artemis  
glanced at Luna, and then slipped out the window  
to follow her.  
  
***********************************************   
  
The man she fought might have been the one who  
attacked her in the mall a few years ago as she dealt  
with one of the daemons. The attack he used was the same,=20  
a turbulent blast of random temporal energy that would  
scatter various parts of her across time and space.=20  
Her defense against it was the same when she couldn't  
or didn't want to dodge the attack. She would either  
deflect his attacks, or wielding her staff like a  
lacrosse player, catch it in her Orb and send it back  
at him. The first time she did that, only a lucky dodge  
had saved him, and he had been far more careful after  
that. The strain of catching and returning his attacks  
was beginning to show on her face, which had broken out  
in a sweat that was beginning to mat down her hair.=20  
She had tried a counter-offensive earlier in the  
fight, only to find that much of his boasting was accurate.=20  
Whatever his source, his power and control were sufficient  
to keep her from taking control of the fight. He wasn't  
subtle, but he was more powerful. Try as she might, she  
wasn't able to change the environment after that first  
time. Fortunately, she consoled herself, dodging a  
boulder that appeared above her head, he wasn't too  
skilled at that or she would have been long since dead.  
" Time Storm!" he yelled, another blast forming  
between his hands and erupting towards her. She took  
some small satisfaction in it, because he was apparently  
tired enough that he needed to use the name as a mantra  
to aid his concentration.  
She dove to the left, allowing the Orb to swing  
up behind her and catch it while hopefully her body  
blocked his view. Time to startle him again, she  
thought to herself.  
A whimper escaped from her, body shaking from  
the strain of resisting the attack and holding it  
before leaping high in the air. Her staff was lifted  
above her head while spinning rapidly, the butt end  
glowing violet with her attack and the Orb shining  
it's usual red, but crackling black energy around it  
signifying his as well.  
" Dead Scream!" she yelled, abandoning any  
pretext of calm, boosting the power level to her  
limits and flinging the pair of spheres to crash  
against his shields as she fell to one knee, panting  
heavily.  
Waves of energy cleared away to reveal that he  
was driven to one knee, but that was all as her  
spirits sank. Stupid, she yelled at herself, allowing  
herself to be caught like this. This is supposed to be  
her realm, not his. Most of her tactics had been based  
on using their own power against them due to the  
peculiarities of the world they were in, but he had been  
able to hold the environment to his will. She now had  
no way to make him destroy himself like she had expected.=20  
" Dead Scream," she whispered, sending several more  
blasts against him for cover as she rushed in behind the  
glowing spheres. He had reflexively thrown up his arms to  
block her volley, and even though they bounced off of his  
shields, she was rewarded when the haft shattered one of  
his knees as she swung low to avoid his guard.  
He roared in pain as she darted away. She'd gotten  
lucky that he had let his concentration slip just a  
little. Whatever she had done, however, hadn't interfered  
with his spells as several 'Time Storms' flew out at her  
and narrowly missed.  
What was even worse was that he was now surrounded  
by a hazy globe of translucent blackness that covered his  
entire body. He wasn't risking her getting lucky again.=20  
The man was using power at a prodigious rate, but it didn't  
matter. It was a only a matter of time until one of his  
attacks hit, not if. She was overpowered and growing  
tired.  
In desperation, she lashed out and snared the last  
attack he fired in the next volley and rushed forward.=20  
Let's see how good you really are at the important stuff,=20  
she cried out in her mind while steeling herself for her  
next action. He wasn't as good as she was, but he was  
more powerful. It was time to take his power out of the  
equation and put this fight back on her terms.  
As expected, he fired another blast at her. She  
fired as well, sending the blast she had captured  
forward, but not at him. The two attacks met in a  
soundless wave of noise, the resultant myriad shades  
of glowing blackness rushing out to consume them both.  
  
***************************************************  
=09  
The cat ran after her, calling her name as  
she slowed down to a more sedate pace that he could  
match and entered the park. He leapt over the fence  
and went over to where she stood at the edge of the  
sand filled playground. She took off her sweater and  
walked over to a set of pull-up bars. A quick tug  
verified their stability, and selecting one of a  
sufficient height, she jumped up and began to swing  
herself around in circles like a gymnast.  
" Why doesn't she see it, Artemis?" she asked.  
" It might not be a trap, Minako," he responded.=20  
She considered it a few moments before launching herself  
into the air on an upswing to almost lazily complete a  
pair of somersaults and a twist, landing lightly on the  
sand.  
" A vote," she spat out. " Doesn't she understand  
that it won't work?"  
The white cat, now realizing what she was referring  
to, was about to reply when a voice cut him off.  
" She's right, Artemis," the woman sitting in the  
left of three swings that were behind them said as she  
tied up her turquoise hair in a red ribbon.  
" You can't lead by committee," the other added,=20  
leaning up against the pole of the swing set, her sandy-blonde  
hair silvered in the faint moonlight.=20  
" Michiru, Haruka," the cat greeted them as Minako  
went over to sit in the middle swing. " I'm sorry, Mina.=20  
I think we should have had this talk a little while ago."  
" Yes," Michiru nodded in agreement. " You should  
have brought her over that night, and maybe this could  
have been avoided."  
" I could stop her," Minako said, knitting her  
brows for a moment as her sword appeared in her hand and  
she stuck it into the sand between the two swings.=20  
" Yes," Haruka added contemplatively as she leaned  
over across Michiru, picked it up and looked at it  
longingly. " You could. You could have as soon as you  
had remembered this, Minako-chan. All it would take  
is one order."  
" Usagi would let me do it," the blonde whispered,=20  
knowing it was true the moment she said it. Usagi still  
idolized her for being V.  
" One order," Haruka continued," and every bit of  
the resolve and self confidence she's been building  
would be gone. She's very strong, our princess, but  
she's very fragile at the same time."  
" We have to let her make some mistakes," Michiru  
added, putting her hand over one of Minako's where it  
rested in her lap. " Otherwise, Minako, she'll never  
learn. We were all asked to help raise her and make her  
into a queen. She'll never do it if you do this to her  
now."  
" I always wanted this," Haruka said, seeming to  
abruptly change the subject as she stepped forward and  
ran through several exercises with the sword. " I wanted  
it so bad I could taste it, Minako, but deep, deep down  
I always knew that another would have it."  
She walked over to stand in front of Minako and  
reached out, the heavy sword unwavering in her grip and  
the point coming to rest delicately against the skin  
above Minako's heart.  
" I could have claimed this because I was a better  
fighter, but you were stronger than I in the one thing  
that mattered. You were better at understanding people  
than I was, Minako-chan, and I think you already knew  
how this would affect her. If you didn't, you would have  
used this by now. We have to let her do this until she  
learns that it can't work."  
" It's the only way," Artemis agreed, jumping up  
on Minako's lap. He was startled to see a single tear  
working it's way down her cheek.=20  
" We don't have time for that," Michiru said softly  
as she brushed away the tear and Haruka put the sword  
back in her hands. " We still need you, Minako-chan. We're  
going into an unknown situation tomorrow. It would be  
wiser to wait for Setsuna, but we still have to look  
after Usagi-chan. Will you help us with this?"  
  
**************************************************=20  
  
A coruscating wave of color washed out over  
them, and even as it melted him away, she was casting  
her perception and control around both herself and  
the expanding sphere of the explosion in an attempt  
to contain it. If the energy was allowed to continue  
expanding, the forces released would rip apart the  
delicate weave of the fabric of space and time. First,=20  
she concentrated on stopping and controlling the blast  
that was reaching her. The rest could follow after she  
insured that she would be around to fix it.  
It only took a short time to ensure that she  
would still exist, but it was nearly too much. The  
fabric near the gates was inherently weak, and the  
blast was already beginning to distort the flow. She  
set all her attention and power on fixing it as soon  
as possible, praying that she was not too late to  
keep disaster from happening.  
  
*************************************************  
  
" That's the last of them," Usagi said as  
she watched the van pull away. Haruka had returned  
about an hour after she and Michiru suddenly left  
in Minako's wake to give the others who needed it a  
ride home. " Hotaru is going with Michiru to take  
Chibi-usa home, and one of the others will probably  
be hanging around here as well."  
" You're taking this very well all of a  
sudden," Mamoru answered, walking up behind her  
and wrapping his arms around her waist. " You were  
upset with them a few days ago for watching over you  
and now you're accepting it."  
The girl turned in his arms, put hers around  
him and rested her head on his chest for several  
breaths before answering.  
" I don't think we have a choice in it anymore,=20  
Mamo-chan. We'll be public figures at some point in  
the future. We may need the guards. It's... "  
" Usako?" he asked several seconds after realizing  
she had stopped.  
" It's... " she sighed." I just can't stand the  
thought of them getting hurt trying to protect me. I  
don't need to be as smart as Ami-chan to realize that  
we've gotten lucky a few times."  
" That's enough of that," he interjected,=20  
stopping her words with a quick kiss and picking  
her up in his arms. " If you keep worrying about  
tomorrow, you won't get any rest tonight and you'll  
be tired when you need to be alert.  
" C'mon," he said, carrying her through the  
room and down the short hallway to the guest bedroom.=20  
He gently set her down on the bed, left the room and  
came back with the nightgown she kept in his closet  
and a spare robe. " It's late, Usako. Get some rest  
tonight, and it will all work out in the morning."  
He left her, and she could hear him moving around,=20  
checking the windows and turning off the lights before  
his footsteps came back down the hall and into his room.=20  
She sighed and took off the short dress she wore. After  
taking off the rest of her clothes and pulling on the  
nightgown, she got into the bed.=20  
Mamo-chan was right, of course. It was late, and  
she would need the rest for whatever happened tomorrow.=20  
She tried to sleep, but it eluded her far into the night  
as she tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable and  
relax.  
  
***************************************************  
  
Why, he bitterly reminded himself, did she have  
to bring up luck? He was feeling badly enough as is  
about his ability to protect her already. She didn't  
mean anything by it, he was sure, and probably didn't  
even realize the effect it would have on him.  
He'd failed in his job when they did something  
to her that night at the concert, even though he had  
been the one to destroy that first golem. Later, it was  
only because Nephrite held true to his heart that she was  
still alive. He hadn't been doing too well lately, or at  
least not achieving the level of perfection he demanded  
of himself when it came to taking care of her.  
This is getting me nowhere, he growled at himself  
and punched one of the pillows across the room. Settling  
back down, he closed his eyes and began the breathing  
techniques he had learned from one of his teachers  
several years ago. It took him far longer than usual,=20  
with much of his mind concentrating on keeping the rest  
from thinking about anything, but eventually he was able  
to calm down and put himself into a slumber.  
About an hour after he finally went to sleep, the  
door knob turned. It opened at the gentle touch of the  
figure there, who carefully crept in and looked at him  
for some time before reaching a decision. With a deep  
breath and trembling hands, several buttons were undone,=20  
allowing the silk nightgown to fall down to the ground  
around her ankles as she stepped forward.  
  
*************************************************  
  
" That's it, Sailor Moon!" the girl cried as  
a wave of pink light washed over the now deserted  
park, destroying the swarm of small cats and stripping  
most of the trees bare. The golem they were fighting  
had started it's destruction in a gift shop that  
specialized in the beckoning cat of several legends,=20  
and it apparently had an ample supply of the figurines  
in stock.  
It was just like the animals they had fought  
while facing the first full-size golem, except that  
there were many more of them. Makoto had realized  
that the larger golem must be making the smaller ones  
out of the materials at hand where it started at, and  
also realized that only Sailor Moon had the ability  
to deal with so many of them at once.=20  
Jupiter linked hands with Tuxedo Kamen, forming  
a barrier around Moon for the moment of concentration  
she needed, and the fight was quickly over. Without  
the swarm breaking their concentration, they were able  
to take the fight to the golem using Luna's plan.=20  
Chibi-moon had even helped out, the stream of tiny pink  
hearts from her 'Pink Sugar Heart Attack' not really  
hurting it from the range she was at, but providing the  
distraction the others needed to come in on the sides  
and let loose their attacks from close range.  
" Not bad," Uranus commented from where she stood  
by the two cats and the floating Luna-P. Much to Luna's  
dismay, Chibi-usa had apparently told it to lock on to  
her when she was Sailor Chibi-moon. She clearly wasn't  
amused by this caricature of her following her around,=20  
but was pleased at the girl's performance.  
Artemis was impressed as well, watching them  
slowly make a crack in it's chest while keeping their  
distance and not letting it attack them. Saturn and  
Neptune stood next to him, ready to join the fray if  
needed. Luna had asked them not to unless the Inner  
Senshi really needed it, so they stayed on the sidelines.=20  
The black cat was still upset at the poor practice session  
they had the other day and wanted to make sure everything  
went according to the plan.  
Using the cover of Mercury and Jupiter's attacks,=20  
Moon whipped into her spin and finished it off with her  
'Moon Spiral Heart Attack.' The golem cracked apart as  
a pink heart burst out from it and it fell into several  
smaller lumps of clay . She cried out in delight,=20  
clearly surprised at how easy it had been. Barring  
the problem they had earlier, it had been one of the  
easiest fights they had been in.  
" Well done," Tuxedo Kamen added as he leapt  
from the top of the streetlight he was perched on to  
come to a landing next to the blonde, who rushed over  
to him for a hug and what turned out to be a longer  
than normal kiss. Chibi-moon started to run over to  
him as well, but was stopped by Neptune gently laying  
a hand on her shoulder.  
" Give them a few moments, Chibi-usa-chan," she  
whispered. She had seen the look on Sailor Moon's face  
and knew what it meant.  
" No sign," Uranus softly said to Venus, who had  
come over to them after the fight was over while the  
other three of the Inner Senshi gaped at their leader  
until Mars loudly cleared her throat to get their  
attention. The two blushed, especially Moon.  
Venus sighed. She had been fervently hoping that  
Setsuna would show up and they could stop this. Looking  
at Uranus and Neptune, she nodded once.  
" Gather 'round, " Uranus said, kneeling down to  
save the little girl the feeling of embarrassment at having  
to look up at all of them. " Mars, your grandfather is  
back, so we can't do it from there. If everyone's ready,=20  
let's go now. We know it's west of here, so let's go in  
when it's dark."  
" I'm ready," Moon said, determined to see it  
through. The others nodded, and as they stood, Venus  
came over to Moon and gave her a quick, fierce hug.  
" Thank you, Usagi," she whispered into the other's  
ear before moving away.  
" V-chan... "  
They moved into a circle, holding hands to form a  
chain, the two Moons each holding onto one of Tuxedo Kamen's  
hands. Chibi-usa had argued long and loudly last night to  
be able to go along, skillfully using the argument that  
she wouldn't be safe if all of them were somewhere else.  
" I'll call it," Artemis announced from the side  
where he and Luna sat. " Let me know when you have a  
good image, Tuxedo Kamen."=20  
The young man nodded, closing his eyes and standing  
still. Auras of light appeared around the others as their  
power accumulated and grew. The two long streams of  
Moon's hair rose up behind her, and Venus and Mar's  
quickly followed suit.  
Tuxedo Kamen nodded.  
" Sailor... " Artemis began.  
Luna yowled in surprise as a black sphere  
suddenly shot past her, clipping an ear as it moved  
towards the little girl.  
" Luna-P!" she cried out.  
" ... Teleport!"  
  
*************************************************  
  
" Will you stop following me!" she shrieked  
at the young man. He had seemed like an angel when  
she first saw him, but now, she considered him the  
devil himself. Shortly after that embarrassing  
incident at the beach, he had shown up on the train  
station platform where she waited for the last train  
home with her friends.  
He must have had something to do with what had  
happened, but she had no idea what it could be. His  
being on the same train could have been coincidence,=20  
or at least that was what she thought when she was  
with her friends. Now, since she had left them to  
walk towards her home, that easy confidence had left  
with them.  
Taking the same street from the station as her,=20  
he had kept on walking past her first turn and she  
had relaxed. Suddenly, right before she reached the  
block her house was on, he had startled her, walking  
out of the shadows.  
" Leave me alone," she added, not nearly as  
forcefully.  
" I still don't understand you as well as I  
should," he said absent-mindedly.  
" Why me?" she almost sobbed, dropping to one  
knee and offering a heart-felt prayer to the God the  
sisters told her to worship. " What did I do?"  
" I don't understand all of you as well as I  
should," he replied, his golden eyes betraying his  
irritation. " You're going to help me in that. She  
has all the others, so I should have at least one  
assistant."  
The golden glow took the place of his eyes  
again as she began to scream in fear and tried to  
run away. A gesture of his hand stopped her in her  
tracks.  
" First, though, I'll have do something about  
those clothes. They simply won't do."=20  
  
*************************************************  
  
They appeared in the midst of a circular room  
that perhaps thirty meters across with a ledge ten  
meters above the floor, the walls rough like the room  
was recently hewed from the rock. The domed ceiling  
was at least ten more above the ledge. It was brightly  
lit, to their surprise. The man was especially  
surprised when Luna-P fell from the ceiling above him  
to bounce and roll over to Chibi-moon's feet.  
" Damn!" Tuxedo Kamen yelled, rubbing his head,=20  
but not angry about the pain. " I was aiming outside."=20  
" It's a trap," Uranus called out. " Jump out,=20  
now!"  
" It's not working," Jupiter screamed in frustration,=20  
breaking the chain to move and put her back against Sailor  
Moon's. " I don't have any power!"  
" Everything's down," Mercury called out, tapping  
her earring. " I can't even access my visor."  
" We'll see about that," Moon said, holding her hands  
in front of her and raising them up in the air as if holding  
onto something.=20  
It was like those nightmares that just kept on happening  
over and over that you could never stop, he realized. They  
always start so reasonably. Just as Sailor Moon was about to  
call out for the Grail, a figure appeared on the ledge above.=20  
By some sixth sense, Uranus was in motion even before it  
appeared, flinging herself in the way of a bolt of light that  
raced from the man's upraised hand, arms outstretched in an  
attempt to block the blast with her own body.  
Then it went wrong, just like the nightmares always do.=20  
The image of a diving Kunzite was superimposed over her, and  
just like that horrible, sickening time in the past when his  
father's life had been cut short, the light bent up and over  
her. He had been moving as soon as Uranus had, but the angle's  
were all wrong for him to do anything and all he could do was  
pray that he would wake up and this would just be a horrible  
dream and she would be safe in his arms.  
She didn't even make a sound as it punched through her  
chest. She merely crumpled to the ground with a surprised  
look on her face.  
" NO!" Mars screamed, her face white with shock. Without  
saying a word, Neptune's hand slipped behind her and into the  
bow at the back of her skirt. With a single step, it rocketed  
forward, sending a slender, razor-sharp throwing knife at  
the head of the man on the balcony in a perfect, overhand  
cast.  
" I'll allow that as a demonstration of futility," he  
said as it stopped an inch from his left eye and fell to the  
ground.=20  
" Mama!" the little girl cried, falling to her knees  
and shaking the still form on the ground as if trying to  
wake her up. The young man turned to face the older one,=20  
tears streaming down his face from the pain of having his  
heart ripped away.  
" Why?" he bellowed. " First my father, and now  
her. Why?"  
" They were in my way, your majesty," the man on  
the balcony said. " She has my crystal, and I plan on  
taking it back." He gestured once, and Chibi-moon began  
to cry as her mother's body vanished and reappeared next  
to the man. " Please allow me to introduce myself, I believe  
the song goes.  
" I am Jason,' he said, bowing slightly as Mercury put  
her hand on Jupiter's arm to keep her from trying to rush  
the man. He seemed to be talkative, and those were the ones  
who may give out some useful information. " My mother said  
that was also my father's name, and claimed that he was the  
one who led the Argonauts.=20  
" That, however, is of little importance. What is  
important is that I am the last of the magii who created  
the crystal that her majesty used, and I am taking it  
back. I've been watching all of you for some time now,=20  
and I know everything you can do. This room," he said,=20  
sweeping his hand around to indicate it. " This room has  
an anti-magic field that prevents any of you from using  
your powers, which you so ably used to dismantle the  
golems that we sent to test you in order to get that  
information.  
" Thanks to your kind efforts in that field, I  
decided that all of you were more powerful than what  
I wanted to deal with. For that reason, none of your  
powers will work in here. It will mean the end of you,=20  
I'm afraid."=20  
The walls shook as parts of them broke free,=20  
revealing themselves to be more of the smaller, man-sized  
golems like the one from the concert. Bits of rubble fell  
off of them as they advanced on the group in the middle  
of the room.  
  
***************************************************  
  
She tried one of her attacks, but the man hadn't  
been lying about that part. It didn't work, and she  
desperately dodged around the first one that approached  
her. What could she do, she asked herself. Her talents  
ran more towards analysis than combat, allowing the  
others to be more effective against their foes.  
Her opponent had more weight than she, as well  
as being made of what would be as hard as stone if she  
tried hitting it. Luck was with her as she moved around  
the first and hooked the leg of the second, pulling it  
off balance and sending it to the floor.  
Why couldn't she be a better fighter, she cried  
out to herself as the flailing legs of the second  
knocked her down, allowing the first to fall on her  
and knocking the breath from her lungs. His plan was  
seemingly perfect. Without her attacks, there was  
little she could do, especially against these  
foes. There was little any of them could do.  
She tried to cry out as the hands closed on  
her neck, but she still didn't have enough air in  
her lungs. All she could do was to desperately  
thrash around in a pointless effort to break free  
as spots appeared before her eyes, and then  
everything went black.  
  
************************************************=20  
  
A spin got her around the first one, and the  
second would have been surprised if it was a man as  
she bent down under it's arms and slammed her shoulder  
into it's gut. It nearly drove her back due to it's  
weight, but she forced her legs straight, lifted it  
off of the ground and shoved it into the next three.=20  
All four went down in a pile that sounded like that  
one time she dropped a stack of plates.=20  
" Ami!" she yelled, seeing the blue and white  
costume under two more of them with arms and legs  
flailing. Unlike her, the smallest one of the group  
had never been a physical combatant. A leg had come  
off of one of the golems in the pile and she scooped  
it up as she flung herself towards her companion. Her  
initial swing broke the arm of the one holding Mercury  
down.  
Her arms had just gone back for another swing  
when she heard the clear crack of breaking bone and  
Mercury stopped moving, her head at an odd angle as  
those two began to rise.  
She screamed in rage and frustration, whirling  
into a spinning kick that cracked the head of one of  
those in front of her. The pain from her foot convinced  
her that something else was broken as well. It  
distracted her for a moment, as well as causing  
her balance to shift as the knee buckled in an  
unconscious attempt to take the strain off of her  
foot.  
One of the golems, probably the first one,=20  
grabbed onto the pink ribbon at the back of her  
skirt and pulled. The fabric gave easily, but it  
was enough to send her to the ground since she was  
already off balance. Before she could even attempt  
to get up, one of the others grabbed her by the ponytail,=20  
lifting her head up before snapping it down face first  
into the ground over and over until she stopped moving.  
  
**************************************************  
  
" Now, now," he said, lifting a foot over her  
hands on the rim of the ledge and his voice sounding  
like she was being scolded. Uranus had given her a  
boost that just let her reach the edge in an attempt  
to stop him before they rushed her.  
He smashed it down hard on her fingers and she  
screamed from the pain, slipping despite her best  
efforts and falling towards the ground below. Her  
leg caught on the rough wall for a moment, causing her  
to start to cartwheel on the way down. She just had a  
glimpse of Haruka being shoved back by three of them,=20  
and doing damage to them as they stood in her way,=20  
preventing her from approaching and helping to catch  
her while four more came up from behind.  
A wave of regret hit her in that tiniest fraction  
of a second. Oh, Haruka, I never had the chance to  
really let you know how I feel, she cried out to herself  
as the unusual direction of her fall brushed her arms  
away from protecting her head and she struck the ground  
moving away from the wall and to one side. Her head was  
forced back, the sound of vertebrae snapping clearly  
audible to the one screaming her name.  
  
****************************************************=20  
  
Her father stood over her, his knuckles bleeding  
from hitting stone. Mars was on the other side of her.=20  
Both had fought like whirlwinds to keep them from  
getting to her, but she could hear his cries as he  
went down under the weight of several of the golems  
and another got in a lucky blow that dazed Mars.  
She screamed in fright as one reached for her,=20  
and screamed even louder as it's hands passed through  
her. She was beginning to fade away, just like that  
time with Nephrenia, but she was much more scared this  
time. She had just seen Sailor Moon struck by a beam of  
light that killed her.  
I don't exist anymore, she sobbed, watching the  
fight around her and realizing her mother was dead. There  
seemed to be nothing she could do to help them. At her  
mental command, Luna-P came over to her as she tried her  
best to will herself solid. There was nothing she could  
do about the attacks themselves, but maybe if she could  
make herself solid, she could somehow help.  
It came to her just after she solidified, and  
just before a cold, hard, stone hand closed over her  
throat. A waving hand caught hold of Luna-P and one-handed,=20  
she began to tap out the code that Pu had taught her so  
long ago. Her vision blurred and darkened, but she  
resolutely kept at it. Right eye, nose. Left eye, nose,=20  
and the eyes slid shut. Nose again, and her neck was  
broken as it's hands released her, reached up and  
savagely twisted her head around to one side by the  
hair. The final part of the code was entered more by  
instinct than reason, her hand sliding up and  
pressing against the crescent moon.  
  
*************************************************  
  
Saturn lurked around the edges of the fray  
surrounding Venus, who was darting in and out among  
the ones that were going after her and the ones who  
had originally been after Saturn. She had jumped over  
next to the blonde before slipping away and through  
her assailants, causing them to attack the other  
Senshi.  
Desperation had driven her to try everything  
among her abilities. She could still end it all, she  
realized with horror, but shrank away from that option.=20  
While there was life, there was hope.  
Life, she realized, snapping her fingers and  
rushing one of the ones Venus had tripped up and  
slapping at it's knee with her healing power at it's  
fullest capacity but imagining the exact opposite of  
the healing process. The knee shattered, immobilizing  
it, and she gratefully realized the other had seen it.=20  
Venus paused a moment as two came in on each of her  
sides, and then slipped around one and helped it into  
the other. Both landed in a heap, and Saturn quickly  
disabled those as well. Then she heard the high pitched  
scream.  
" Chibi-usa!" she cried out, racing towards  
the girl and abandoning Venus to the remaining four.=20  
The girl had one pinning down her body as she lay  
face down, and another had just let go of her neck  
and grabbed her head. Instead of trying to escape,=20  
she just kept touching Luna-P in a steady cadence  
as it took hold of her hair.  
Too late, Saturn broke it's shoulder just after  
she heard breaking bone and saw the little Senshi  
grow still, except for the hand that reached up and  
weakly touched the crescent moon that now glowed in  
a bright gold. A high pitched beeping began, it's  
sounds coming quicker and quicker until it became a  
steady whine. Saturn dove for the girl, hands gently  
placed over the bruised neck as she gathered all her  
energy in an attempt to heal up the damage done.=20  
She prayed it wasn't too late as she let the  
energy flow into the little girl and tears ran down  
her face. Chibi-usa had been one of her few friends  
and she didn't want to lose her.  
  
*************************************************  
=09  
" What in all the hells?" he yelled as the sound  
began. He just was able to make out it's source in the  
midst of the fray that he had, up until that point,=20  
been enjoying. That ball, he realized, was making the  
noise. A irritated wave of his hand sent a bolt of  
light weaving through the melee, clipping the one with  
short, black hair as she began to glow, and blew the  
ball into a cloud of shrapnel.  
I hope that wasn't a mistake, he decided, drawing  
on the power he was getting from the crystal. The princess  
should be dead, but still he could only draw on a portion  
of the power he should be able to access. That's one more  
thing to figure out at a later time.  
" Matthew," he said, reaching out and touching the  
mind of his assistant in another part of the old  
keep. " I've got her. Go now, and I'll follow when  
this is done."  
The other man agreed, and he could feel the surge  
of energy as he left along with the extra power that  
he had been ready to channel to the Archmage from a  
stack of heart crystals. As soon as he was gone, Jason  
set up his own spell that would carry him away to  
safety, encompassing the body that floated next to him,=20  
and primed the spells he had laid on the foundations  
long ago in preparation for this day.=20  
His crystal, he smiled to himself, was quite easy  
to find on her. A quick wrench of his wrist snapped the  
ribbons holding it on her chest and he reached into the  
heart-shaped broach and removed the stone. The broach  
was dropped, bouncing once before falling to the ground  
below.  
" Hearts," he chuckled, turning his attention  
back to the fight. That one with the murderous look  
on her face, the youngest seeming of the newer group,=20  
bore watching. She had some kind of power that she  
could use in spite of his spells that kept the others  
from using their magic. Better do something about  
that. She could be dangerous, he decided, a ball of  
white energy forming in his hand as the temperature  
around him dropped rapidly.  
  
****************************************************  
  
The worst of the anomalies had been fixed when  
a horrendous, shrieking sound filled her mind. The  
sound wasn't anything physical and ended a moment  
later, but the message it sent chilled her to the  
bone. It had started as the beeping sound that Luna-P  
made, but it echoed through time and not space.=20  
" Small Lady!" she screamed, dropping the  
threads that had the minor anomalies that remained.=20  
They would have to fix themselves well enough on  
their own. The Orb on her staff burst into red light  
as she oriented herself on the spot in the time  
stream where it came from and willed herself there.=20  
That point had such a distortion about it that even  
her recent assailant should be able to see it  
standing out like a beacon in the night.  
She appeared in the chamber in a flash of red  
light, the noise from the displaced air clearly  
audible to all of them there. At her feet, Saturn was  
just beginning to stir while holding the gash on her  
shoulder.  
" I healed her neck," the girl gasped out,=20  
trying to lever herself up to a sitting position, " but  
it was too late. I'm sorry, Pluto."  
She looked at the still form of the girl on the  
ground, lying amid the remains of what must have been  
a few of the golems. Her fury grew and grew, and the  
look on her face seemed to scare those of her friends  
that could see her. An older man stood on the ledge  
that ran around the circular room, a look of fear  
upon his face as he realized who she was. He raised  
his hand and vanished, along with the body of the  
  
Princess and a glowing crystal in the other hand. The  
distractions had worked. She had been too late.  
As soon as he was gone, the whole room began  
to shake and cracks appeared in the ceiling. A  
rumbling beneath her feet told her that something  
had just exploded deep in the ground below. Loosened  
by the shaking, a large chunk of the ceiling began to  
fall down towards the ground to her right while the  
rest of the wall at floor level broke away, revealing  
even more of the golems.  
There was only one thing to do. Vengeance  
wasn't an option to her right now. Her hands around  
the base of her staff, she lifted it all the way  
above her head.=20  
" Temporal... " she whispered as the tears  
began pour down her face and the Orb blazed into  
a nova of red light.  
Farewell, my sisters.  
  
***************************************************=20  
  
They still had some of the weaknesses of the  
human body. Joints were still more fragile than the  
rest of the body. Breaking knees and elbows as she  
went, Uranus cut a path through her attackers as she  
steadily made her way towards the still body of  
Neptune. No matter what happened, she would make  
it there, she swore, desperately fighting to control  
the berserker fury that was building inside ever  
since seeing her fall.=20  
She had seen the look on Michiru's face as she  
fell. She hadn't looked angry as she fell, nor was she  
afraid. Regret was the emotion she saw there, as well  
as sadness. Choosing one at random and ignoring a blow  
to her face, she picked it up by the leg and arm.=20  
Stepping forward and to the side, she pivoted  
around and released it to smash into the other  
three that were left.  
Sitting by her side, holding the cooling  
hand, Uranus only looked up at the rumble in the  
air when Pluto arrived. The older woman looked  
around at the room and the mask of control that  
Pluto wore broke. She could feel the color drain  
from her own face at the sight of the accumulated  
rage of centuries appearing on Pluto's.=20  
It was understandable why the man ran at that  
point. If it had mattered, she would have ran too.=20  
They never before had seen anything like this from  
her. Uranus could see the mad light in her eyes  
that signified the rage she had felt a few moments  
ago before taking Neptune's hand.  
Revenge would be so easy a path for Pluto to  
take right now. She had some idea of what the woman  
was capable of. She had stopped time when the  
helicopter had exploded over the Infinity Academy. Now,=20  
when she was this angry, who could know the limits of  
her desperation?=20  
" Setsuna, No!" she cried out, raising her hand  
towards Pluto as she raised her staff over her head. The  
rage in her eyes been replaced by cold reason; a cold  
so hard and sharp that she didn't have to see the unholy  
calm on the woman's face as she smiled and the staff  
came down.  
" Pluto!"  
  
*************************************************  
  
The Garnet Orb smashed into the ground,=20  
breaking into dozens of pieces that scattered  
around the room. Everything seemed to pause,=20  
everywhere, for just a long, timeless moment  
before resuming.=20  
Venus was caught and born down by the  
weight of numbers. Another had Mars by the hair  
while a second and third rained blows down upon  
her. She was moving too much for any one to grab  
her throat. Tuxedo Kamen got his knee up between  
him and the last of the ones around him on the  
ground and flung it away, scrambling to unsteady  
feet.=20  
He snarled at the sight of more golems as the  
red shards fell to the ground around all of them.=20  
Uranus' outstretched hand fell to the ground in defeat  
as more of the golems came up on her. She didn't move  
except to stare blankly at the fragments of crystal  
that bounced near the two Senshi.  
" ... Fugue!" Pluto finished, collapsing to  
the ground as pain washed over her body, the anguish  
causing her to go into convulsions. Each of the shards  
glowed a moment, releasing a wraith-like image of  
Pluto that quickly grew to full size in less than  
the blink of an eye.  
" Dead Scream," several of them whispered,=20  
ringed violet spheres flying out to crash through  
any clusters of golems. Others dove into the fray,=20  
their staffs driving them back while the rest  
shielded the bodies of the other Senshi. The  
masonry falling from the cracked ceiling crushed  
several of them under tons of rubble.  
Four of them reached the edges of the room,=20  
turned, and describing a circular arc with their  
Orbs in perfect unison, took all of them away and  
into the welcome darkness as the ceiling gave way  
and began to fall.  
  
*************************************************  
  
" Flare, rise and serve," he intoned.  
She got up from where she lay on the ground,=20  
slightly disoriented. Why was I doing that, she  
tried to remember, shaking her head. Why was I  
trying to be like one of these silly... humans?  
" Yes, my lord?" she asked, brushing off a  
speck of dust from her clothes. Gone were the blue  
denim jacket and jeans she had been wearing, and  
the white shirt. She now wore a tight fitting, black  
uniform; trousers and a long-sleeved shirt with a  
scandalously deep, narrow cut in the front. Gold trim  
subtly enhanced it, blending in with the same on the  
black pauldrons that covered her shoulders. Her boots  
came up to her knees, the heels making her considerably  
taller.  
" Much better," he commented, enjoying the  
contrast of the black that reminded him of the deeps  
of space and the stark contrast of her waist length,=20  
auburn hair. Another part of him, one that heretofore  
he had not noticed during his time being human, also  
reminded him of the contrast between the color of  
her uniform and the swath of white skin it  
displayed. " Much better."=20  
  
************************************************  
  
They came back into existence on the lawn at  
the back of a house that none of them recognized. A  
small garden and pond was behind them at the back of  
the walled property, and a dignified, but opulent  
house was in the front, done in the traditional style  
with enough real wood for all of them to realize the  
sheer expense involved.  
In a daze, ignoring all the Pluto's who were  
gathering the fragments of the Orb, Mamoru walked  
over and picked up the empty broach. All his strength  
left him, and he collapsed on the ground. A few feet  
away from him, Uranus was silently weeping over the  
body of Neptune.  
" Mako-chan," Mars whispered as she knelt down  
next to the green-clad Senshi as the pool of blood  
Jupiter had lain in seeped into the grass and stained  
her knees. To her left, Ami still lay unmoving, her  
head rolled loosely to one side. She could tell without  
looking that the girl was as dead as the one she  
started to roll onto her back, and then put back  
down after changing her mind. Gently, she reached  
out and closed her eyes, getting up to do the same  
for Ami-chan.=09  
" Setsuna... " Venus whispered as she cradled  
the woman's head on her lap. Pluto had stopped  
convulsing, but it was clear she was dying. The  
duplicates were coming over and re-assembling the  
Orb. Each melted into it as it was done, smiling  
sadly at the original, and she gained a little  
strength each time, but she had done too much.  
" -chance, Venus," she rasped out. " You have  
another... chance this way. I could have killed  
him... but it wouldn't bring her back. The crystal  
can... restore her."  
Saturn knelt down, her hand glowing as she  
put it on Pluto's shoulder. She frowned after a  
few moments.=20  
" It's working, but she's not getting any  
better."  
" Save your energy, Hotaru-chan," Pluto  
whispered. " I wasn't supposed to do that, and  
I have to... pay the price. That's why I could  
do something there... when you couldn't. There's  
one thing he can never stop us from doing." She  
turned her head, taking in the sight of the  
bodies on the grass, and flinched.  
" Look after her, Hotaru. She'll be very sad  
when the shock wears off," she said, raising her  
hand and trying to point towards the other two  
Outer Senshi before it fell unmoving to the ground.=20  
The last of the duplicates came to her, completed  
the Orb, and melted into it like the rest. Her body  
began to glow in a bright red for a few minutes and  
then quickly faded from view.  
Venus stood and surveyed the group, reaching  
into her pocket for a moment to touch a button on  
her communicator. She forced the grief she felt  
back into it's place, slamming the door shut on  
it, locking it and throwing away the key. She had  
an idea, and it would have to come first before  
she could express the pain she felt. The old mask,=20  
the one she used to wear towards the end of her  
career as Sailor V, settled in place over her  
facial expressions. This wasn't over yet.  
  
**************************************************  
  
Jason was back sooner than he expected, Matthew  
realized as the older man appeared in the center of  
the central chamber of the stronghold. There was a  
glowing crystal, obviously the one he sought, in his  
hand. Next to him, the still form of a young woman  
floated unmoving in the air.  
" That's Princess Serenity, then," he said as  
he approached the older man with a triumphant look  
replacing a tiny sign of fear that he only recognized  
due to years of time with him. " She doesn't look as  
imposing as I imagined."  
" No, she doesn't," was the response. " Her mother  
I respected, but she is barely a child. She won't be  
any bother at all."  
" If she's not a bother, then why is she here?"  
" I'm not sure why she isn't dead," Jason said,=20  
taking a drink from a decanter of wine that appeared  
in his hand. " She isn't drawing any power from my  
crystal, but she's still alive. I hit her full force.=20  
She shouldn't even exist anymore, except as a few motes  
of dust. I'll examine her at my leisure after everything  
settles down."  
" I assume that you're getting everything, then?"  
" Actually, no," he admitted. " That's part of  
why I brought her. We, however, have a problem we  
need to consider before that."  
" Gabriel failed then," Matthew ventured.=20  
" Worse," he replied. " She used her powers to  
get into the trap. She may have rescued some of them."  
" In other words, expect a counter-attack?"  
" Precisely. If any of them survived when I  
brought the roof down, they'll be here any time now.=20  
Uranus and Venus were among the survivors I saw. They  
are two of the three that were active the longest  
this time around.=20  
" We have to count on their figuring out where  
we are and that they will have to attack as soon as  
possible to keep me from using the crystal. If they  
attack, it'll be soon. You'd better be going now."  
The younger man nodded and barked several  
orders to the servants standing near the one entrance  
to the large room. The remaining Senshi would find it  
as deadly a trap as the one they left.  
" Good luck," Matthew said as he began to  
leave. " I'll see you if you survive any counterattack."=20  
Someone had to survive and pass the art on down  
so that it would survive. As the second most powerful  
one here, that was his responsibility if they were  
under attack. The art was more important than any  
one of them, even the Archmage.  
  
*************************************************  
  
Sometime during her talk with Setsuna, Mamoru  
had gone over and was now seated next to the fading  
body of his daughter. Hotaru had joined him until  
she was gone, and then reached out and healed the  
broken skin and bones in his hands. She rose after  
that, going over to Mars to take care of her injuries  
as Mars sat by Mercury for several minutes.  
Uranus had finally left Neptune to check out  
the house and to confirm a hunch about where they  
were. As she had expected, the door in the back  
opened to one of the combinations that Setsuna had  
shown them. This must have been one of her safe  
houses that even they didn't know about. A few minutes  
of searching led her to the linen closet, where she  
took out several white sheets and returned to the  
back yard. It wasn't easy for her, but she picked  
up Michiru and laid her down near Makoto, and did  
the same for Ami before covering them with the sheets.  
Mars cried a little more at this before settling  
down and praying over the bodies and managed to get  
most of the chants correct despite the thickness of  
her voice.  
" Artemis, I just have the worst feeling about  
this," a voice from the other side of the wall stated.  
" It's right over this wall," another replied as  
the two cats came into view a moment later. Artemis  
stopped in the gate at seeing the shrouded bodies. Luna  
came forward a few more steps, sniffing and realizing  
whose scent wasn't there.  
" Usagi!" she shrieked, and then to began to  
mournfully wail as Artemis came over and sat beside  
her, pressing close to reassure her. Out of respect  
for her feelings, Venus let her deal with her anguish  
as she turned over all the variables she could think  
of. She also took an inventory of everything she had  
on her and checked all of her powers to make sure  
they still worked. Uranus walked over by her, along  
with Saturn, and they did the same.  
Seeing this, Mars came over and cleaned the  
blood off of her knees with one of the leftover  
sheets and some water from a garden hose. After  
that, she did the same with her repertoire and  
looked at the others. Artemis, seeing them gathering,=20  
nudged Luna and the two cats came over to join them.  
" Wait," Mars said as Venus was about to begin.=20  
She walked over to the young man who still sat next  
to where his daughter had lain, holding the empty  
broach in his hands.  
" Mamoru," she began.  
" Leave me alone," he interrupted, his voice  
low and thick. Venus angrily started forward at that,=20  
Uranus a step behind, but Mars stopped them with a  
wave of her hand. Taking a deep breath, she slapped  
him across the face as hard as she could.  
" Damn you, Mamoru!" she yelled as loud as she  
could. " If you have one scrap of the feelings you  
told me you had for her, you'll get yourself up and  
over here."  
" Mamoru," Venus added. " We have a chance to  
save her. Pluto gave us one more chance. We can't  
throw it away."  
He rose to his feet, sighed, and put the broach  
into one of his pockets. A few steps brought him over  
with the others. Venus tersely filled the cats in on  
what had occurred while they were away.  
" They have the Silver Crystal," Mars added at  
the end. " He said they were the ones who made it in  
the first place."  
" That's an old story," Artemis replied,=20  
nodding. " It was hushed up a little bit at first  
from what I know, so the origins of the Crystal  
were suitably vague. Some said it was made by  
Hephestaeus in the distant past, along with Minako's  
sword and the Commander's."  
" We do know it was made by the magii," Luna  
added. " They were all killed long ago, according to  
what we read in the histories. That's why magic slowly  
died out, since the magii were the only ones with any  
formal training. The art should have been lost over  
the centuries."  
" The histories are wrong, then," Uranus said  
in her low voice. " Let's go stop this bastard from  
using it on us."  
" How are we going to find him," Saturn asked,=20  
looking at the others. " We don't know where he is or  
where he took her."  
" Yes, we do," Venus replied. She pointed at  
the man in black. "Him. She's still alive, according  
to Pluto."  
" Of course," Mars exclaimed in surprise.  
" Me?" he asked, puzzled.  
" Mamoru," the priestess gently teased  
him. " You always made it to her whenever she  
was in danger, no matter where she was at. You'll  
be our guide again."  
" What if it's another trap?" he asked, still  
dubious. " Look at what we just went through."  
" I don't think they have more than one place  
like that," Uranus answered him, her chin resting on  
one hand and looking thoughtful. " That place was  
pretty messed up when we left. Also, if they depend  
on magic for their power, they can't afford to do that  
in too many places."  
" What's our plan when we get there?" Saturn  
asked, looking at Uranus like she expected the tall  
woman to take charge. Uranus sighed heavily in response  
and admitted something that wasn't easy for her.  
" It's her show, Saturn. Venus is the leader of  
the group since Sailor Moon isn't here. I'll take it  
if she wants me to, but only under that condition."  
" Thank you," Venus said warmly, finally managing  
to push a smile through the mask she wore earlier.  
" What's the plan, then?" Saturn asked her.=20  
It's pretty simple," she replied. " We go there,=20  
kill anything that isn't Usagi, and get out of there  
with her and the crystal. Pluto said that it can restore  
her."  
" That's not much of a plan," Artemis commented.=20  
" Until we know more about where we're going," she  
replied while absent-mindedly scratching the fur on his  
back. " That's all we can try to do."  
  
***************************************************  
  
" Mars," Uranus said as she looked at the red-clad  
one. "Come with me, please."  
It wasn't a request, she knew, so she followed the  
other into the house and up the stairs. =09  
" I'm very sorry about Michiru," she  
ventured. " You're holding up very well."  
" We had an oath," was the woman's reply as  
she turned on the light switch at the head of the  
stairs. " We vowed that no matter what happened to  
the other, the survivor would finish the mission. It  
still applies, Rei-chan."  
Uranus stopped at a door and entered a combination  
into the pad at the side of the door. Several bolts  
clicked and it swung open with a hiss.  
" I'll get this done," she said quietly. " Then  
I'll start screaming. You need to have something in  
case we lose our powers again. Take your pick," she  
nodded towards the room's contents.  
Racks on the walls held spears and bows on one  
side, with swords below them, and firearms on the  
other. There were several rifles and machine guns,=20  
along with what she recognized as a grenade launcher  
from seeing too many action movies with some of the  
boys who had asked her out and a wide variety of  
pistols. There was another, smaller door in the back  
with a number lock on it as well. She whistled at the  
selection, and took a short naginata down from the wall.  
" My grandfather has trained me in using several  
traditional weapons, " she explained. " This will give  
me the reach I'll need if we run into any other of  
those things."  
" That's good thinking. I'm glad you stuck with  
what you know," was the response from the other. " I  
was half afraid you'd want a gun."  
" What if I did?"  
" Then I'd let you find the ammunition storage  
code," Uranus grinned at her, hefting a large pistol  
that looked like a modern, stainless steel version of  
an old cowboy gun from an American western movie that  
was on steroids." I still can't find it in here. I was  
going to bring the .454 Casull. I learned how to use  
one in the States from a crazy NASCAR driver. Hurts  
like hell to shoot, but it's effective."=20  
A whistle from downstairs broke off the banter  
and they left after closing and locking the door. They  
found Venus and Saturn downstairs tearing another sheet  
in strips that they were tying into a makeshift harness  
for their weapons. This time, they were teleporting  
with their weapons out. A backpack lay on the counter  
next to them that held a few canteens, some sandwiches  
and several silvery emergency blankets.  
" You should see the stuff she had up there," Mars  
commented. " Enough guns for a small army. No ammo,=20  
though."  
" Doesn't matter," Venus grinned. " I've been  
shot a few times. They don't work well against  
us. Probably won't work against them either."  
" Shot?" Mars and Saturn echoed while Uranus  
smiled at the look on their faces, as well as the  
one on Luna's.  
" No time to explain it in detail," Artemis  
added as Mamoru came in wearing his armor with his  
sword at his side. " It has something to do with the  
speed of an object. That's why all the shrapnel hasn't  
cut you to ribbons yet. A knife does more damage to  
her than a gun."  
" We're going along on this one," the black cat  
stated. Luna was startled when Venus only grinned and  
scooped up both cats.  
" I wouldn't dream of leaving you behind," she  
said, leading the others out to the lawn. " We need  
those noses."  
  
***************************************************  
  
They formed another circle outside, this one  
much smaller than the one earlier that morning. Artemis  
was perched on Venus' shoulder, with Luna on Mar's. All  
of them had their weapons out, Endymion's sword in it's  
scabbard and the others in makeshift nooses. All the  
strips of cloth would have to do is get the items  
through a teleport.  
" Concentrate on her, Mamoru," Mars said,=20  
repeating her instructions in a soft, compelling  
voice. The others kept silent.=20  
" Let us know when you feel her. She's in  
danger, and you have to go and help her," she added.=20  
Finally, several minutes later, he opened his eyes  
and looked up.=20  
" I've got her," he said confidently and let  
that old, familiar tugging sensation pull him and the  
others towards her. They hastily finished it with  
a 'Sailor Teleport' that completed the transit and  
came out on a rough trail in a rocky valley. There  
was a short, graceful tower at the top of a hill to  
the west that the soft light of early dawn was just  
touching.  
" She's in there," he said, standing up and  
brushing some dust off. " I feel something strange  
if I look any closer at that place, so I decided to  
bring us in out here where it's safe."  
" That's fine by me," Uranus replied. " It's  
only about ten kilometers."  
" Let's start walking," Saturn said, taking  
her glaive out of it's sling and putting it over  
one shoulder.  
They moved out, Artemis in the lead by about  
fifty meters. Luna stayed with the main group. Venus  
had arranged it this way in order to let him spot any  
observers or traps along the path. They'd used the  
same tactic before.  
" Nothing," he said as he slowed to join up with  
the main group an hour later and get a drink along with  
a hunk of meat from Saturn's sandwich. " It's dead out  
there."  
" Nice choice of words," Luna muttered.=20  
" I did see one thing, however," he continued,=20  
ignoring her. " There's an opening in the hill at the  
top of this trail. Something is bound to be up there."  
  
****************************************************  
  
They continued their careful advance until all  
of them had safely made it up to the top of the ridge.=20  
Below them, the path dipped down into a larger opening  
than the one Artemis had seen, which was about halfway  
up the side of the hill. The one below them was guarded  
by a deep pool that allowed only a single, narrow bridge  
on the right of the pool as access to the other side. Water  
running down from the opening above was the source of the  
pool, and it drained off in the direction of a narrow  
gorge to their left.=20  
The other side of the pool had a short ledge  
that the bridge led to. A large golem paced back  
and forth there at the commands of a bored-looking  
young man in a brown tunic and matching trousers. He  
must have been one of them, at least, because he would  
occasionally try to burn some of the flies that had  
bothered them on the way up with a tiny jet of flame  
from his fingers.  
" He's mine," Uranus said, hefting her sword and  
preparing to rush forward. Venus grabbed her by the  
arm, dragging her back down behind the bushes they  
were using for cover.  
" No, he's not," she hissed, picking up a  
water-smoothed rock the size of a handball and giving  
it to her. " I've fought a mage before, and I know what  
to expect. I'll distract him from sounding an alarm. How  
good are you at baseball?"  
" Good enough that the boy's coach at school cried  
when they wouldn't make it a co-ed team," she grinned  
back. Venus clapped her on the shoulder, left her sword  
with them and slipped off through the bushes to get as  
close to him as possible. Saturn and Mars gathered a few  
rocks as well to use if a distraction was needed. A touch  
on the arm made Saturn put hers down as Endymion pulled  
out a rose and smiled. She probably couldn't have reached  
the other side of the pool with a throw from here, anyway.=20  
He set off after Venus, silently moving through the  
cover and catching her where she had stopped. She would  
be looking at going several meters through the rest of  
the brush before reaching the area where the vegetation  
was intentionally cut back. Beyond that was about fifty  
meters to the bridge that she would have to cover in the  
open before reaching the bridge.  
" I'd rather be the one doing this, you know," he  
whispered to her. " I can get him from here."  
" Do you know if he's really there or not?" she  
asked.=20  
" Touch=E9," he admitted.  
" I'll start running," she said, pulling a knife  
out of her pocket, to his surprise. He didn't think she  
was the type. " As soon as I get to him, and if nothing  
changes, let fly. Then get over to help me with that  
golem." She began taking steady, deep breaths and counting  
the time the golem spent walking back and forth.  
Choosing a moment when the golem was obscuring the  
guard's vision, she sprang forward, her sandals kicking  
up dirt. She was halfway through the cleared area before  
he noticed her charging towards the bridge and spent the  
time it took her to reach it gaping in surprise. His hand  
began to come up when a rock caromed off the side of his  
head in a glancing blow. He was clearly hurt, driven to  
one knee, but not down.  
The guard reached towards one outcropping of rock  
as the golem turned to face the bridge. The stem of a  
rose stapled his tunic to the hill below it as Endymion  
stood and charged the bridge, Uranus in close pursuit  
with Artemis catching a ride on her shoulder and hanging  
on for dear life. The others followed, with Saturn in the  
rear.  
Venus ran directly at the golem, leaping up and  
over it as the young man tore his tunic free. Her knife  
entered his chest at the heart as her knees slammed  
into his stomach, sending both down in a heap that only  
she rose from. The golem had already turned and was  
advancing on her with outstretched arms.=20  
Endymion's sword shattered the knee on it's right  
side as he came up from behind the golem. Venus was  
preparing to use one of her attacks when Uranus came  
up and rammed her shoulder into it's waist, sending it  
into the water with a loud splash. The golem sank quickly  
as she brushed the dirt from her hands and glared at the  
cat clinging to her shoulder.  
" I'm not a taxi," she grumbled at the cat, looking  
with satisfaction at the few bubbles that came to the  
surface of the water. There was no sign of the  
golem. " Must have been pretty deep," she commented,=20  
smiling to herself.  
Artemis carefully launched himself to a  
position of safety on Venus' shoulder, but she  
quickly put him down on the ground.  
" We only have a few moments. The mage I  
fought couldn't move and fire too well at the  
same time, so keep them moving," Venus said,=20  
taking her sword from Mars. " Just like Moon in  
the exercises, Mars. Don't let them get set up to  
fire."  
" It sounds like you aren't going in there," Saturn  
panted, trying to catch her breath and pointing at the  
entrance.  
" I'm not," Venus replied, pointing upwards. " I'm  
going in up there."  
" What?" Mars interjected.  
" Are you sure of this?" Uranus asked quietly.  
" She is," Artemis replied sadly. " She's the only  
one with experience at acting solo. You've always been  
used to having others with you. Be careful, Minako."  
" I will. We have to change the situation here,=20  
Uranus. They've been controlling things, making us  
react to them. It's time for them to start reacting  
to us.=20  
" If you find her, forget about me and get  
the hell out of here. Take her to Stonehenge, in  
England. Call out for the Merlin. I've made  
arrangements for her. You know the routine, Artemis.=20  
You're my cover," she said, giving the cat a quick  
scratch and began climbing up the hill with her  
sword slung over her shoulder.  
  
***************************************************  
  
" What did she mean by that?" Saturn asked as  
they started through the entranceway.  
" Elementary tactics," Uranus whispered as she  
took the point. " If you want to do something nice  
and quiet over here, do something very noticeable  
over there."  
" If we're supposed to be noticed," Mars  
added. " Mars Flame Sniper!"=20  
A bolt of red light raced down the corridor,=20  
clipping another man in clothes similar to the guard  
outside in the shoulder as he stepped into the  
corridor ahead of them. He crumpled in a heap, but  
was still breathing. She didn't know what was up  
with Minako, but she didn't see the need to kill  
all of them like she had done to the sentry.=20  
" Let's go!" Uranus shouted, breaking into a  
run as a bell began to ring. Nothing here looked  
like it was hi-tech to her so far, but appearances  
could be deceiving. They could already be under  
observation by hidden cameras.=20  
The tall woman stayed in front of the others  
with Endymion right behind, supporting her with his  
sword or roses getting any that Mars missed. So far,=20  
their opposition had been limited to several men and  
woman in identical clothes and a number of the smaller  
golems. Saturn kept to the rear with the cats, her  
glaive at the ready.  
She had already realized that she wasn't as  
used to combat as the two in front, or had as much  
time being a Senshi as Mars. Moving at the high rate  
of speed she could attain wasn't second nature to her  
yet, so she relied on her 'Silence Wall' to protect  
her and kept an eye out behind them.=20  
" This way!" Endymion indicated, pointing down  
a side corridor that opened up onto a much larger  
hallway. At it's end to their left was a set of tall,=20  
double doors in an arched doorway guarded by a dozen  
of the large golems and several of the acolytes, as  
Uranus was calling them. " She's in there. I can  
feel her."  
" Usagi!" Luna cried out. " Hold on!"  
Uranus took a deep breath, holding her  
sword out in front of her.  
" Space Sword..." she yelled, allowing the  
power to build up higher and higher before she  
slashed the sword at them, flinging havoc  
towards the doors. " ...Blaster!"  
  
***********************************************  
  
It only took her a few minutes to scale the  
side of the hill and enter the opening the cascade  
of water issued from. The opening was too regular  
to be natural, she had decided as they approached.=20  
The water made her footing slippery as she ventured  
further into the darkness.  
As she thought, it wasn't natural. The grate at  
the end was easily cut with her sword and pushed aside,=20  
allowing her to enter a small chamber. The room was  
round, with a door in the opposite wall. In the center  
of the room was what appeared to be an old fashioned  
well, but with water steadily rising to spill over the  
top and flow away down the passageway she had come in  
through.  
The other door was not locked, and it swung open  
to reveal what appeared to be a good sized kitchen,=20  
easily capable of cooking enough to feed a few dozen  
people at once. It was unoccupied, but the pots that  
were boiling over or the burning smell from the ribs  
on the wood flame grill clearly stated that they had  
just left.  
" They're in the main hall," a woman yelled from  
outside.  
" They're kicking the hell out of the  
apprentices," a man added.  
" It'll change when we get there," another  
man added calmly.  
Not if I can help it, she said to herself,=20  
reaching into her dimensional pocket and removing  
the crescent shaped compact. It popped open easily.  
" Moon Power Transform," she whispered, her  
clothes shimmering into the blue, white and reds of  
Sailor V. If they know so much about us, let's give  
them something new to think about. Those colors would  
be slightly less noticeable than her usual ones, as  
well.  
They had just passed the door, so she nudged  
it open and slipped through. The man in the rear  
must have been the one to speak last. He seemed to  
be older, with a more ornate robe. Her sword easily  
pierced his chest, sliding out through the front of  
his robe and whatever he was about to say became a  
wet gurgle.  
" Crescent Beam!" she said, swinging her hand  
slightly and calmly cutting the other two down as  
they began to turn. She wanted to go deal with the  
voices she heard behind her, but the mission was more  
important, she realized as she ran forward and turned  
towards the center of the hill and the probable heart  
of the structure.=20  
That's where anything important should be. That's  
where she should be. That's where someone was going  
to pay for all of this.  
  
**************************************************  
  
The alarm bells that sounded were the first  
sign he had of an attack. A quick glance with a  
scrying spell outside the main doors showed several  
of the apprentices taking position outside the main  
doors to the chamber he was now in, along with a  
group of golems. That should hold them off for a few  
minutes, he realized. The Senshi had proved to be  
very resourceful in dealing with the constructs, who  
had never been designed to deal with something like  
them in the first place.  
It was almost time, he realized, looking at the  
body of the girl on the white marble slab to his left.=20  
Later, he'd have the opportunity to figure out the  
puzzle she represented, blocking him off from all the  
power he should now have from his crystal, which lay  
on a pedestal near him, since he didn't need to be in  
contact with it to draw from it.  
Try as he might for the past hour, he hadn't  
been able to wring any more power out of it using the  
control spell. Logically, all of it should be his. In  
case of something unexpected, he had ordered all the  
remaining heart crystals brought to him. He now seethed  
with the life energy of several hundred people and would  
have little trouble dealing with the intruders. The  
explosion outside made him look again.  
Most of the golems were torn apart already as four  
people rushed towards the doors. Endymion was in the  
lead, seemingly eager for revenge. With a countenance  
just as fierce as the prince, Uranus was at his side.=20  
She was probably the source of the attack that must  
have destroyed most of the golems already. Mars  
followed them, disabling the last of the apprentices.=20  
She'd learn not to take such a foolish chance if she  
was allowed to live longer, he surmised. It never  
paid to leave an enemy alive unless that was part of  
your plan.  
Saturn brought up the rear, along with a pair  
of cats. She was the unknown here, the variable in  
the equation. Since there wasn't any sign of Pluto,=20  
she was probably the most powerful of his opponents,=20  
and the one to be wary of.  
He checked his shielding spells one last time  
and beckoned the doors to open in front of them as  
Endymion cut through the last golem. That's it,=20  
everyone, he urged them in his mind, come on in. She's  
here, waiting for you to join her.  
  
**************************************************  
=09  
He dashed through the doors as they opened,=20  
sensing her presence in the room ahead. He didn't  
care that it was much like the one in that other  
building, circular with a balcony, but done in fine  
marble and gold instead of the rough stone of the  
other. She was in there, and that was all that  
mattered to him right now.  
He skidded to a stop upon seeing the older  
man in there, the one who had cut her down.  
" You," he hissed, sword and voice trembling  
from the rage he felt. " You are going to die."  
" Usagi-chan!" a black cat yelled, racing  
into the room along with a white one, and the two  
placed themselves between the older man and the  
still form of the young woman. Three other woman  
were right behind them and moved to take positions  
near the younger man.  
" Thank you for coming here today," the older  
man said in a polite tone of voice as the doors swung  
shut behind them. The glow of the young man's sword  
and the shining red bow in Mar's hands vanished.  
" In a way," he began. " I'm somewhat disappointed  
with all of you, walking into a trap twice on the same  
day, excluding the cats, of course. It's a wonder your  
respective kingdoms survived for so long."  
" I don't need magic to kill you!" Endymion  
yelled, charging forward with his sword. Uranus hurled  
a dagger she had taken from a guard over his shoulder  
at the same time, both attacks ringingly bouncing off  
of his shields. Mars took out the pole arm that was  
slung across her back, but Saturn waved her off,=20  
stepping forward.  
Endymion swung again, and this time the other  
man reacted, flicking his wrist like he was idly  
swatting at a fly. The young man was flung back and  
slid to a stop against the far wall, his sword  
clattering off in another direction.  
" Give her and the crystal back," Saturn softly  
said in a calm voice as she stepped past Uranus. " Give  
them back or you won't live to enjoy the fruits of your  
victory. You can't stop me from destroying this place,=20  
and you with it."  
  
****************************************************  
  
She had to fight her way through a good number  
of the more skilled magii on the way to the central  
room they seemed to be converging near. If they were  
counting on re-inforcements, someone was in for a  
surprise. The last two she dealt with were only  
apprentices guarding an archway with an open space  
beyond.  
Below, she could hear Endymion yelling at  
someone. She crept forward just in time to look  
down and see him flung back by the man who had  
attacked them earlier. Mars had the naginata out,=20  
a sure sign that their powers were being blocked  
again. Luna and Artemis stood guard over the princesses'  
body, and the crystal rested on a pedestal near her.=20  
Saturn was just walking up to face off with him. She  
concentrated and produced a ghostly trace of two  
crescents around her fingertip.=20  
Up here, at least, her powers were working. She  
was considering the chance an attack would have of  
breaking his defenses as the conversation began again.=20  
Jason was surely far more skilled than Azarite, and  
he had been able to deflect most of her attacks that  
one night, long ago. No, she decided, she wouldn't  
have any chance of taking him out with one shot.  
" Give her and the crystal back," Saturn was  
saying below. What could she do to him if she couldn't  
use any of her powers?  
" Give them back or you won't live to enjoy  
the fruits of your victory," she continued, and it  
struck her. The realization was so startling that  
she missed the rest of what the girl said.=20  
They couldn't use any of their powers down  
there, but Pluto had done something that now jarred  
her memory. She had one option left. She could see  
no other way.  
  
**************************************************  
  
" I'd be glad to let you leave," he smoothly  
replied, playing upon the girl's emotions for all he  
could muster. Just a few more moments for the  
spell. " The only thing, though, is that the crystal  
is rightfully mine. I'll let her go once I can make  
sure she isn't a threat to me."=20  
" Liar!" Sailor V shrieked from above, a white-hot  
beam of light carving a trench in front of the man.  
" Venus!" Artemis called out in relief.=20  
" No!" Uranus yelled, frantically waving her  
back as she stepped over the balcony railing. " Venus,=20  
get him. NOW!"  
She shook her head as she lowered herself towards  
the ground with her chain, dropping the rest of the way  
as it cut out, signifying that she had entered into the  
area where their powers didn't work, and landed near  
the princess and the crystal.  
" I'm sorry, Uranus," she said, straightening up  
from the landing with her sword in hand. " He's too  
powerful. I'd only get one shot, and it wouldn't work. He's  
far better than the one I fought."  
" Damn," the taller woman swore softly. Their one  
chance was gone.  
" As long as he can keep us from activating any  
powers," she continued. " We don't have a chance." She  
took out her compact, despite the whispers in her head  
as part of her realized what she was going to do.  
" We can't turn anything on, but we can turn it  
off. He can't stop that."  
The outline of Sailor V shimmered a moment,=20  
leaving Sailor Venus, who let the crescent slip from  
her hand and drop to the ground. She took a deep  
breath and forced the next words out, despite the  
pain of what was to come, despite the screaming  
from her instinct for survival, and allowed the  
sword to fall to the floor.  
" He can't stop this, either," she added as  
her transformation wand appeared in her right hand  
and Minako stood there in Venus' place, her sigil  
glowing on her brow. Venus, she prayed, please let  
me do this.=20  
Minako picked up the crystal as Jason looked  
on bemusedly, trying in part to figure out her game,=20  
but totally unconcerned now that she was no longer  
a threat in his eyes.=20  
" My life for hers!" Minako yelled, crushing  
the wand in her grip, breaking it as the sigil  
vanished.=20  
" NO!" Artemis screamed in despair.  
She smiled as the world grew dark, channeling  
the resulting energy into the crystal with all her  
heart and soul, with her very life.  
  
************************************************  
  
She watched the pieces of the wand fall clattering  
to the floor.=20  
Another one lost. That was seven now that he had  
to pay for.  
Uncontrollably, the rage came, her second-to-last  
conscious thought that whatever Venus had done would  
require at least a moment of time. Her last thought  
was of Michiru, the image of her falling flashing  
before her eyes.  
Luna was yelling something to her. She didn't  
care. All she wanted was for him to be dead. No matter  
what it took, even if it meant the end. That would be  
fine by her. She no longer had any one to live for.  
  
***************************************************  
  
Artemis fell to the ground. She spared a quick  
glance, focusing her ears forward and just hearing the  
beat of his heart as Uranus went berserk. He had fainted,=20  
probably from shock. The black cat didn't even think of  
holding it against him. She had practically done the  
same upon hearing what had happened to Usagi.  
Holding her sword in both hands, the sandy-haired  
Senshi ran up to Jason as one blast of red energy hit  
Minako, and another, blue this time, sent Saturn  
stumbling backwards to the wall.  
" Uranus!" she yelled, ears flattening as  
the woman began to howl in rage after slamming  
face-first into his shields. Blood flowed from a  
broken nose, but that didn't stop her from swinging  
again and again at his shields, seemingly determined  
to bring them down by sheer tenacity, if nothing  
else. She called her name several more times,=20  
imploring her to get away, but was ignored.  
  
************************************************  
  
Snarling in rage at his oversight, he slammed  
a doom bolt into the blonde girl's chest. She was  
already dead, but it was some small measure of  
satisfaction. He turned off every spell in the tower  
that he was personally powering in order to hoard as  
much power as possible. He didn't know what she had  
done, but he wasn't about to take any chances.  
How did I underestimate her, he asked himself  
as he used a minor phantasmal spell to send Saturn  
reeling back into the wall, thinking the attack was  
real. How could they do such a thing, sacrificing  
themselves for another?  
Nike, he prayed for the first time in  
thousands of years to the goddess of victory,=20  
let me carry the day. He had just felt something  
stir deep inside the crystal as Uranus slammed into  
his shields and began to rain blows down upon them.  
  
*************************************************  
  
She could only remember floating in the white  
light, and that it was a safe, secure place. She  
had tried to wake up, but it was too comfortable  
here and she had continued to sleep away, ignoring  
all her other concerns. Finally, distant voices  
brought her to some semblance of wakefulness. Before  
her were two figures that she couldn't make out. She  
tried to focus her eyes on them, but there was no  
response. It was like another was controlling her  
  
body.  
" Now, I finally understand what the queen  
did."  
Minako-chan, she gasped, recognizing one of  
them.  
" Are you sure of this, child?" another  
asked. The woman was the same size as her friend,=20  
or maybe a little taller, but also seemed to tower  
over her. She still couldn't make out any features  
on the woman's face, but she seemed so kind and  
caring.  
" Absolutely," her friend responded. " She  
means so much to all of us, not just me. She gave  
us so much without asking for anything in return.=20  
I was losing myself in the end, just before I met  
her. The strain was getting to me, and I had  
forgotten how to even smile anymore, except as  
part of the disguise.=20  
" She showed me how to laugh again, how to  
love. For that alone I owe her my life, and then  
she has saved both myself and the others on many  
occasions. The world can survive without me, but  
not without her."  
What do you mean, V-chan, she wondered. You  
always were there for me, just like the others, no  
matter what I did. How could you say such things?  
The next thing she knew, she was feeling the  
emotional strain that Minako had spoken of; the terror  
of the fights, the exultation as she vanquished her  
foes, and the soul-searching afterwards as she looked  
at the bodies. Whoever the other presence with her was,=20  
it was looking at her friend's thoughts and feelings,=20  
and she was along for the ride.  
No, Minako-chan! she screamed, now realizing what  
the girl had just done. Why, when you have just as much  
of a right to have a life and to be happy as I?   
" Sister's daughter, do you concur?" the woman  
seemed to ask her, but someone else was controlling  
her as she tried to scream out her protests, and her  
pleas to give Minako back the life she had given up  
were not heard.  
Her other self just nodded in agreement, despite  
all her efforts.  
" I will allow it," her voice said.  
I will not, she raged.  
" I marveled at the concept ever since we first  
saw one of your kind do it," the woman said to her  
friend. " I didn't agree with you at first, but now,=20  
looking through your love for them, it is  
understandable. The insight is invaluable. Farewell,=20  
my child. Go with my love, since you have shone me  
so much regarding it."  
The whiteness around her grew brighter and  
brighter as the power began to flow into her. The  
fires of her spirit were kindled again, and then  
began to burn even brighter, fanned by the wings  
of her friend's love.  
  
*************************************************  
  
Mars stood in shock for just a second as Minako  
was flung backwards by the bolt of light, landing  
partially on the marble slab where Usagi lay. The  
girl was smiling even after she was hit. Saturn went  
skidding past her and crashed into the wall.  
She couldn't think of anything to do. Artemis  
was down, although she hadn't seen him attacked. Luna  
was yelling at Uranus, who had finally cracked from  
the strain. Mamoru was still down for the count, and  
their enemy wasn't even hurt.  
This must be the end, she decided, resigning  
herself to this fate. She stepped backwards and  
helped Saturn to her feet. Words were not needed. Her  
eyes carried the message of defeat to the other girl  
as they looked at each other.  
" Get him behind me," Saturn said, nodding  
towards Endymion. " He's too heavy for me to move.=20  
I'll get the cats." They both ran off, Mars dragging  
his body back over the smooth floor while Saturn  
picked up the white cat and returned with Luna  
following her.  
She stepped forward, the Silence Glaive held  
high while taking a deep breath, allowing her energy  
to build and build. Ribbons began to appear out of  
nowhere, snaking around and through each other as  
they wafted through the air.  
  
**************************************************  
  
Something fell across her legs. It was heavy  
and warm, unlike the mattress she lay on. What was  
her mother thinking, giving her a rock-  
Her eyes snapped open and blinked, adjusting  
to the sudden light. She wasn't at home, that was  
certain. Sliding her right elbow back, she levered  
herself up to see what was happening.  
Minako's head lay across her knees. She wore  
the light blue sundress she was so fond of, the one  
she had even borrowed a few times. The rest of her  
body was supported by the huge piece of marble they  
lay on, except for her lower legs, which dangled off  
of the side of the slab to her own left.=20  
Both of her arms were stretched wide, with Minako's  
left hand lying next to hers, loosely clenched in a  
fist. In it was the Silver Crystal. On her face was  
that tiny, faint smile she thought they never saw,=20  
the one when she used when she knew she was right.  
Saturn must have seen her move, because she  
lowered her glaive without using her power. Behind  
her, her love was beginning to stir. She wanted  
nothing more than to run to him, but she had some  
unfinished business first.  
Carefully sliding out from beneath her friend  
and gently setting her head down on the marble, she  
swung her legs out and stood up, taking the crystal  
and raising it up in the air, snapping his bonds  
upon it with a determined pulse of energy. It glowed  
brightly and changed into a white, heart-shaped broach  
with double wings and a golden crescent moon.  
" Moon Eternal Make-up!" she called out,=20  
changing to the form that she should be in right  
now, wings unfurling and a golden crescent blazing  
into life on her forehead, shining like the sun.  
  
**************************************************  
  
An angel's voice woke him up, making him  
disregard the pain. It was only a broken rib or  
two. Nothing when compared to the feeling of hope  
that filled him when he saw her standing there.  
" Usako," he whispered, forcing himself to  
stand. She needed to see that he was all right. He  
know realized what Kunzite had meant. With his  
support, with his love, she could move the heavens  
themselves. Their eyes met and he saw the flash of  
love that was surely mirrored in his own, but touched  
with an overlay of sadness.=20  
Instantly, he knew what she was going to do. He  
had to get Uranus to safety before she would act.  
  
****************************************************  
  
Her sword had no effect on his shields, as he  
expected. What was a greater concern was the look on  
Saturn's face as she ran over and picked up one of  
the cats and carried it back over by Mars and Endymion.=20  
The young girl then stood straight, her weapon held  
aloft.  
The distractions of Uranus and Saturn kept him  
from seeing her move at first. It was only when the  
spell that linked him to the crystal was shattered did  
he realize that she was standing there, holding the  
crystal aloft and changing into another, more powerful  
form.  
His questions were instantly banished as over  
two thousand, five hundred years of control took hold.=20  
He could already sense the conflagration of power  
raging inside of her and realized that this would be  
a battle of raw power, not finesse. The look on her face  
wasn't that of the girl he had seen before.=20  
It was like a face he had seen before, long ago in  
the past. The crescent moon on her forehead was the clue.=20  
That look was one of utter composure; a calm that  
transcended centuries. He had seen it before on her  
mother, and she wore it now. It was suddenly obvious  
why both of them had been named Serenity.  
He let Endymion run up and drag Uranus back behind  
the defensive barrier Saturn had erected. She wouldn't  
do anything to injure her friends, and he had to keep all  
his attention on her. It also gave him time to reach out  
and pull every bit of power he could reach into himself.  
Finally, it was time. All or nothing, gambling  
everything on one final battle.  
He smiled.=20  
  
*************************************************  
  
She had struggled at first, but somehow he  
had managed to hold on to her and pull her back away  
from him. She was kicking and screaming until the sight  
  
of Sailor Moon Eternal finally sunk in and Uranus  
collapsed in his arms. She was still awake, but on  
the edge of exhaustion.  
They had just gotten behind Saturn's 'Silence  
Wall' when all hell broke loose behind them. Jason had  
nodded slightly, almost a short bow. Sailor Moon  
curtsied in response and held up her hand. At her  
unspoken command, the Eternal Tial shimmered into  
existence, the handle lengthening until it was slightly  
taller than she was.  
" Chaos Conflagration!" he yelled, a quasi-solid  
bar of crimson and sable mayhem crashing across the  
distance between the two. He grinned in triumph. He'd  
gotten the first strike in, having done most of the work  
of casting this complex spell well before their attack  
had begun. He had set it up to deal with Saturn. It only  
took the final phrase to finish the casting and nothing  
in existence could stand against that much raw chaos.  
She merely stood there, her staff held out. He put  
virtually everything he had available into it, sucking  
dry the node beneath the tower and the four that he could  
reach from there. The resulting, redoubled blast moved her  
back half a step.  
" How?" he screamed. He knew how much power the  
crystal had by virtue of the fact that he helped create  
it. His first attack should have annihilated her, and  
the second should have left the entire valley as a molten  
tribute to his victory. The reason he wanted the crystal  
so badly was that it's power was constantly there, instead  
of needing time to recharge, but he now had more power  
than it could ever have. That other girl didn't have  
enough energy to make a difference. Why wasn't it  
working?  
She finally made a counterattack while he braced  
himself for it, anchoring and reinforcing his shields.=20  
Disregarding the torrents of energy he still brought to  
bear on her, she spun the staff in front of her with  
both hands and whirled around, ending with it held  
above her head while the angry red glow in the room  
faded to a soft pink.   
" Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"  
  
***************************************************  
  
The first attack had nearly blinded them,=20  
making them scream at the sensory overload due to  
the light and noise. Reality itself seemed to fluctuate,=20  
with colors being tasted and smells heard. It took  
several moments before they could make anything out  
again and trust it to be what was there. Saturn was  
gasping from the effort it took to keep up the barrier  
that was surely keeping them alive.  
Luna was howling in pain at the assault on her  
senses, but was the first to make out her form in the  
middle of the flames.  
" Sailor Moon!" she cried out, hoping to encourage  
her.  
" Usagi!" Mars yelled, giddy with delight at the  
fact she was still there. She closed her eyes, her sigil  
began to glow, and she threw everything she could towards  
her friend in order to help her. She gritted her teeth  
as Endymion took hold of her shoulders, realizing his  
intent.  
Whatever she had been sending, it was like a  
trickle of water compared to the flood that tore through  
the channel she had established. She had no idea where  
he was getting all that energy, nor did she even think  
about it. It was all she could do keep the power flowing  
without any interruptions.  
Suddenly, the painful red color of the air was  
replaced by a soothing pink aura as Sailor Moon attacked.=20  
The resulting wave of pressure cracked the marble floor  
and walls and knocked Saturn down, but the girl kept up  
the life-saving barrier in spite of the distractions.  
The noise and light faded, leaving only Sailor Moon  
standing there. Before Mars could even think of moving,=20  
Endymion was at her side, supporting her.  
" Usako..." he whispered, still weak from helping  
her.  
" Mamo-chan," she replied automatically, keeping  
herself from looking behind her by sheer force of  
will. " Minako-chan, she's... all right, isn't she?"  
" I'm so sorry, Usagi-chan," Mars said as she  
walked up and took her other arm, using the naginata  
as a staff for support. The blonde looked around a few  
times, still not looking at the body behind her and  
counted. She finally saw Uranus, curled into a ball  
and crying.=20  
That's when she made the awful realization.  
" Setsuna-san... Michiru-san... Mako-chan...=20  
Ami-chan... ," she stammered, looking at the other  
two. She sobbed out the next name.=20  
" Chibi-usa-chan."  
Mars looked away, but he met her gaze. He  
couldn't lie to her, not now.  
" No," she whispered, standing up on her  
own somehow.  
" Usagi," Mars interjected, catching the  
change in her tone of voice.  
" No!" she said, stronger this time, shaking  
her head back and forth in denial.  
" Usako-," he began, trying to console her.  
" GETAWAYFROMME!" she screamed, a pulse of  
white light flinging them away from her as the  
pupils of her eyes faded. She had changed by the  
time they landed on the ground. Where Sailor Moon  
had stood, only Princess Serenity remained, her  
eyes blue pools of madness.  
" I'm not losing any more of them! I'm tired  
of them sacrificing themselves for me."  
She paused a moment to take several deep  
gulps of air while she began to glow.  
" I WANT THEM BACK!"  
  
*************************************************=20  
  
Her silent grieving was interrupted by the  
touch of the ringed one. Around them, all were  
silent, exploring the feelings of loss they felt,=20  
whether they had lost their avatar or sympathizing  
with the pain the others felt.  
" Once again, brother," she said sadly. " Once  
again, they give us so much at such a great cost. She  
cared enough to give up her own life. I never could  
have imagined what it was to feel like that."  
" I understand how you feel," he replied,=20  
consoling her. " I was in your position a short  
time ago, remember?"  
" Forgive me," she smiled back. " I was too  
busy with my pain and forgot about yours, brother.=20  
What enabled you to continue?"  
" She didn't have what they called a good  
life," he began. " There was much hardship she had  
to go through. She always believed that it would get  
better. I truly understood the concept only a moment  
ago when I saw all of you in pain.=20  
" She refused to give in to despair. ' Where  
there is life, there is hope', she says to herself.=20  
Love is truly a powerful thing, sister, but I am  
beginning to think that hope is just as strong,=20  
if not stronger."  
  
*************************************************  
  
Everything seemed to have frozen around  
her. Mamo-chan and Rei-chan were trying to get up  
from where they had fallen when she pushed them  
away. Neither was physically hurt, she could tell,=20  
but each was very tired. Their energy levels were  
severely depleted.  
Energy levels? She started to wonder about  
that when the answer came to her. She could see  
the amount of energy each person, each object had  
in it. The room itself, and the entire countryside  
for kilometers was drained. The remaining people in  
the room and the cats were low.=20  
Minako-chan!  
She looked over at her, hoping to catch some  
glimmer of hope, but the blonde was as empty of life  
as the stone she lay on.  
How, she asked herself and suddenly knew. Minako's  
energy was inside of her, due to her decision. She  
risked a glimpse further out into the world, trying  
to see if she could locate the others.=20  
There! she cried out. Suddenly, she was looking  
down on them in the yard at the back of a house. All  
three of them had suffered injuries, but, unlike  
Minako-chan, she could sense that a tiny spark remained  
in them. Maybe she could do something to help them.  
Ami-chan would have been proud at her thinking,=20  
she decided with a little smile as she moved all of them  
from the ruined building and to the house where they  
had left from. It seemed to be the best place to work  
at. She tried looking for Setsuna, but could not find  
any trace of her.  
Another thing she saw was the distortion where  
Chibi-usa had last been. There was a faint glimmer  
there as she sensed the lessening of tensions in that  
spot. It grew brighter, but so very slowly. Did that  
mean she would be back?  
A nagging thought made her wonder about her  
energy if she could do all of this so easily. She  
looked and was shocked. How did she get so much  
power? Why, there was enough for her to do anything.  
The crystal, she realized, after a few moments. She  
must be making use of it somehow. But, if she used the  
crystal, that meant that she would... no, it didn't  
automatically mean she would die anymore. She had used  
it for other things without dying, so maybe she was  
getting better at it.  
She spent several moments considering it. If she  
had all this energy, couldn't she just make it so this  
had never happened? With Minako-chan's, and the energy  
from Mamo-chan and that of the crystal, combined with  
her own, why couldn't she just change time itself, and  
also make it so that nothing like this could ever happen  
again? Nobody would ever have to be hurt or forced to  
feel pain and loss. Not just her friends, but everyone.  
" Serenity?" a voice softly called out, breaking  
her reverie. She turned slowly, recognizing the voice. A  
woman stood there, wearing a white gown and long, white  
hair pinned up into odango, just like her. She also had  
a glowing crescent on her forehead.  
" Mama?"  
  
*************************************************  
  
The ringed one looked outwards, and took on  
a guise so that he looked like one of the humans. His  
brother further out from the center had started doing  
that a long time ago, saying that it helped him  
understand them better. Perhaps he was right.  
He noticed his other brothers, who were also  
further out than he, silently mourning together at  
their loss. They all were suffering, really.=20  
" Greetings," he said to the one he sought,=20  
noticing a curious lack of emotions on his face as  
he sat opposite the figure in what was a small, cold  
room with stone walls. The only things in there were  
a few old scraps of wood that might have once been  
some kind of furnishings, and a block of stone worn  
smooth by the years.  
The form his brother chose was one that could  
be of any age. If one looked for the signs of age  
that the humans showed, they were there. Then one saw  
the look of youth on those same features. It was  
puzzling, but that was like his brother. Questions  
among the answers.  
The one furthest out nodded in response,=20  
looking at the staff that rested across his knees  
as he floated in the air in a sitting position a  
meter above the ground. His avatar's staff.  
" Don't you share in their pain?" he asked. " Your  
avatar has been lost, like the others."  
" What will be, brother," he replied  
cryptically, " will be. They've lost these avatars,=20  
but nothing stops them from replacing them. Our sister,=20  
however, is in a distinctly different position."  
" No," he whispered, tears on his face for the  
first time, and delighting in the feel while ashamed  
of it at the same time. " You mean... "  
" Yes," he nodded. " I grieve for her. Unlike the  
others, she has no control over that right now. If  
there is a higher power, like we surmise, the matter  
is now in it's hands, just like the last time. Pray  
for her, brother, like we did for you."  
" I will," he replied, remembering how his  
avatar hoped that things would get better. " I'll  
pray for you as well. She's not the only one to  
have lost someone today."=20  
  
***************************************************  
  
" Mama!" she cried, running over to the woman  
and desperately hugging her as hard as she could,=20  
savoring the feeling of security she suddenly felt.=20  
It was almost like when she was with Mamo-chan.  
The woman held the girl as she began to cry,=20  
hesitantly at first, but rapidly becoming a long,=20  
tension-draining bout of crying. It was only after  
the woman had given her another tissue for the  
twentieth time that she realized something wasn't  
right.=20  
" Is this all a dream, Mama?" she asked, sadly  
realizing the truth as she asked the question. " Are  
you really here?"  
The woman sighed in response.=20  
" It's real, my little Serenity, but I'm not.=20  
This is just a tiny part of me that I left in the  
crystal in case you ever needed this."  
" I don't understand," she replied, frowning  
and trying to puzzle it out.  
" When I gave my life to seal away Beryl and  
Metallia, and send all of you here to have another  
chance, I gained an incredible amount of power for a  
very short time. You're doing the same thing right  
now."  
" But..."=20  
" You didn't give up your life, daughter, but  
you're willing to right now, and that's what counted.=20  
That's why I'm here."  
" To help me?" she asked hopefully, eyes  
brightening.  
" No. You could probably do anything you want  
right now, but I'm here to ask you not to," the woman  
replied, sadness in her voice.  
" What!" she exclaimed. " I want them back. I  
want my friends back!"  
" Darling, don't you understand? You can't have  
them back, not like this."  
" WHY!" she screamed, pulling away.  
" Don't you think I wanted you back?" she softly  
replied, pulling her back into the embrace. " That's  
why I did what I did. I wanted you back more than anything,=20  
but I couldn't do it."  
" Mama?" she asked after realizing her mother  
had paused for several seconds.  
" I'm sorry, dear," the woman said, wiping  
away a tear. " This isn't easy for me, either. Don't  
you see that if you try and change time, you'll be  
taking away the choices that someone else might have  
had? Could you live with that?"  
" Huh?" she asked, causing her mother to smile.=20  
" I was too easy on you back on the moon, I  
guess. I should have made Pluto your tutor instead  
of Mercury. The reason we did what we could for the  
people on Earth was to give them the freedom to  
choose their destiny. It's not right to take that  
choice away from a person."  
" It's not very fair," she mumbled, feeling  
sad.=20  
" There's one other thing, dear. When I was  
trying to figure out what to do, I looked at the  
possibilities of the futures that could have  
happened. Do you know what I saw in most of them?" She  
continued after feeling the girl's head shake more than  
seeing it, since they were still holding onto each other.  
" I saw a beautiful young lady in most of them.=20  
She was happy, too. Not all the time, mind you, but  
generally, she was happy and with the ones she loved."  
" Me?" she guessed.  
" Yes, you. And, I bet you could do the same  
thing, if you wanted to."  
" What, see me?"  
" No, Serenity," she laughed affectionately,=20  
shaking her head. " I'm hoping you don't try to  
change anything and that you go back to the ones  
who love you. If you do, you shouldn't look at the  
futures that could happen.  
" Let me ask you this, however. If you looked  
forward in time, focusing on the futures and the  
Crystal, what do you think you would see?"  
" Chibi-usa-chan!" she gasped in shock.  
" Would you deny her the chance to live?"  
" Of course not!" she replied angrily, her  
heart breaking at the idea of there not being that  
beautiful little girl in her life.  
" That's one of the things that could happen  
if you change anything here. Now, do you see what I  
mean? If I tried to bring you back, you might have  
ended up being unhappy, or not being at all."  
" Yes, Mama," she said after a minute of  
reflection. " I do now."  
" That's a wise decision, dear. It's not an  
easy one, but it's a good one. I'm proud of you."  
" What about my friends, though?" she asked  
her mother several minutes later.  
" Don't you remember what I said a few minutes  
ago?"  
" I can't have them back is what you said."  
" Serenity," she scolded her child.=20  
" I can't have them back... like this! There  
is a way, then?"  
" You should be able to help some of them. That  
little spark that you saw in those three is their  
soul. It's the important part of a person. You can  
bring them back."  
" You were about to say 'but'," she accused,=20  
understanding what was to come and fearing it at  
the same time.  
" I'm sorry, Serenity, but there isn't  
anything you can do for Venus. She gave up her soul  
to help you. That's where all this power you have  
is coming from. You can't restore her without her  
soul."  
" It's not in me," she said, looking inside  
of herself, hoping. Her mother continued to hold  
her as she grieved over the loss of her friend,=20  
enjoying the feel of holding her own daughter one  
last time, despite the sadness of knowing it was  
about to end.  
" Serenity," she said, pulling the girl to  
her feet. " It's time for you to go back now and  
join the real world. You can't stay in here forever."=20  
" I... still miss you, Mama."  
" I've missed you as well, darling," she  
replied tearfully. " Don't forget, though, that  
you still have a mother here. Don't let that  
chance slip by.=20  
" You've made me proud, Serenity. I hope  
that you are always happy," her mother said,=20  
stepping back away and fading from sight.   
  
*************************************************  
  
Luna jumped in surprise as she realized they  
were suddenly somewhere else, and not in the ruined  
chamber at the center of the tower of the magii. Her  
head swam as she adjusted to the change in the  
environment, although it was much easier sorting  
out smells as opposed to smelling colors. Whatever  
he had done to their senses still left her feeling  
a bit fuzzy.  
There was a bright, white light that would  
have been in about the right position to correspond  
to where Usagi-chan had been standing, since they  
were all in the same relative positions. Mars tried  
to get up, slipped again and reverted back to being  
Rei, who just stretched out on the grass trying to  
gain her breath.=20  
Using his sword as a support, Endymion had risen  
to his feet and was walking over the light. Uranus was  
still curled up on her side in a near-fetal position a  
few feet away from Neptune. She had stopped crying,=20  
but just lay there unmoving. The slow rise and fall  
of her side betrayed the fact that she was breathing,=20  
but it was the only sign that she was alive.  
Saturn had finally sat up and was stroking  
Artemis' back as he lay on the grass. He began to  
wake up at this and struggled to his feet, arching  
his back and stretching. Luna could see the effort  
it took for him to stay calm when he realized there  
was no sign of Minako's body. None of them needed  
another bout of hysterics from anyone, not right now.=20  
She padded over to sit next to him, leaning up against  
him for moral and physical support. It would help him  
get over it.  
They turned their attention on the glowing  
light, sensing that it would be the first indication  
of what had happened to the princess.  
  
**************************************************  
  
It took her a while longer to build up the  
courage for what she had decided to do, now that  
she realized her error in approach the first time.=20  
She used some of the extra energy to restore the  
bodies of the three who still had their souls, and  
most of the rest sparking the fires of life in them  
again.   
" I'm sorry, Setsuna," she whispered. " I'd  
like to help you, but I don't know where you are."  
Another portion was directed at the mote of  
light that was her daughter returning to existence. It  
would help speed up the process, and she desperately  
needed a hug from the little girl as much as she  
needed one from Mamo-chan. Finally, after making  
sure of everything she had done and that she would  
be all right when she went back, she got down on her  
knees and prayed.=20  
Rei had told her about Shinto precepts and  
prayers. She offered up those along with ones to all  
the other deities she knew that man worshipped, amazed  
at her ability to remember them all from what the  
priestess had told her in their discussions on the  
subject.  
She prayed to the moon as well, imagining herself in  
the tower that Luna had told her of, the one where  
the rulers of the Moon Kingdom prayed from. She  
couldn't remember it herself.  
She prayed to all of the planets, especially  
her friend's namesake, and asked the Earth itself  
to help her friend as well. The stars also received  
her supplications. Finally, as she stopped, she  
stood up and remembered the love and friendship  
they had shared.  
" Please give her another chance," she  
whispered, putting all the energy she had left  
into the effort of helping her friend and shifted  
herself back to reality.  
  
*************************************************  
  
The wind was howling around the deteriorated  
building. The cold here was so bad that bone-chilling  
wasn't an accurate word. The very stone the building  
was made out of was weakened by it.=20  
The mountain the rock was quarried out of wasn't  
nearly one of the tallest in that region, but it was  
one of the most difficult climbs. An Italian team  
had scaled it once shortly after Everest had been  
conquered, and quickly spread the news that it wasn't  
worth the effort. After that, it hadn't even been  
well surveyed, lacking the glamour of the taller  
mountains. The thrillseekers gave up on it, turning  
to the heights of Everest or the dangers of K2 over  
the years.  
He had helped much in making it's reputation,=20  
the man sitting on a chair outside the building  
recalled, lighting a cigarette. The flame from the  
match burned clear and steady in a bubble of calm,=20  
sea-level thickness air that surrounded the building  
and the caverns below it. He was an incongruous sight,=20  
wearing a light, summer suit in the middle of a blizzard.=20  
The Italian team lost a couple of members under unusual  
circumstances that, to him, weren't unusual at all. It  
was a simple matter to cloud the mind at an inopportune  
moment.  
The node beneath the mountain was a small one,=20  
smaller even then the one under the old stronghold. In  
his last moments, Jason had drained this one as well,=20  
reaching out across the miles to do so. The node was  
just beginning to recover, slowly filling with power  
like a lake fed by a stream, but his long-time associate  
never would. The Archmage was gone, snuffed out like the  
match when he flipped it outside the protection of the  
bubble.  
He'd almost consider him a friend, if it wasn't  
for the unspoken agreement between them. He had been  
waiting for the right time, and Jason knew it. It would  
have eventually come down to a confrontation. That was  
the way of the magii.=20  
Standing, he brushed a snowflake off of the new  
jacket and straightened the lapel. It would be a long  
time until the order could recover, but it would. The  
crystal that Jason had pursued to the point of obsession  
was a worthy goal, but not worth the price in the end.=20  
The art had to survive as well as it's practitioners.  
It will be different the next time. He wouldn't  
take any chances with them. He had ordered all the  
strongest apprentices to deal with the attackers and  
slow them down. They hadn't a prayer of success, but  
he had done it anyway. There would always be more  
coming to them in search of power. It should have  
enabled all the journeymen and remaining masters to  
get away safely.=20  
It hadn't worked. Something had killed most of  
them; sixteen of the twenty hadn't made it out as per  
his instructions and were lost. A journeyman was the  
last through the gate before screams rang out and the  
gate collapsed when the anchor was disrupted at the  
other end. The setback was a major one, but not  
crippling. He didn't plan on openly moving against  
them for some time. Maybe in a century or two. After  
all, he had little to fear from death because he knew  
how to use others to cheat it. He could be patient.=20  
  
****************************************************  
  
Sailor Moon stepped back and into his arms, her  
costume fading away into her regular clothes. Endymion  
was pulled to the ground as she collapsed, unprepared  
for her sudden weight and switching back to being the  
one she needed right now. Usagi and Mamoru embraced  
silently, uncaring of anything else for a few moments,=20  
existing in their own, private universe.  
" Usagi-chan!" Luna cried in joy, abandoning  
propriety and burrowing her way in next to the girl.=20  
Rei looked over at them and smiled. She was so tired  
it hurt, but she began to pull herself over to the  
trio. She was back, the girl rejoiced in her mind,=20  
offering a prayer of thanks as she crawled.=20  
She never made it the whole way, but she didn't  
mind, stopping a few feet away, snaring one of Usagi's  
hands and holding onto it. It was enough to know that  
she had made it back, and Rei clung onto the hand so  
hard that Usagi felt that she would never let go again.  
" Rei-chan," she murmured, pulling herself  
out of the embrace with Mamoru and into one with  
the other girl. Mamoru came over and helped both of  
them to a sitting position, kneeling and letting his  
love recline against him. " Thank you so very much  
for helping me, Rei-chan."  
" But," she choked out, beginning to  
cry. " Usagi-chan..."  
" Don't cry, Rei," she responded, brushing  
away the tears. " It's not a time for crying right  
now."  
She nudged her and pointed, causing the  
raven-haired girl to look in that direction and  
gasp in shock. Neptune's hands had been crossed  
over her chest by Uranus before they had left. Now,=20  
the sheets were gone and Michiru's right arm was  
stretched out towards her partner. The sandy haired  
woman's eyes slowly opened, and her hand reached out  
in response. Their fingertips brushed against each  
other. A peaceful look replaced the haunted one on  
her face.=20  
Rei heaved herself to her feet in a cry of  
joy. Jupiter and Mercury's transformations had  
somehow reversed without her noticing. Ami's eyes  
were blinking at the light while Mako-chan had  
turned her head and was looking around. Rei knelt  
between them and threw her arms around both, bodily  
pulling them up so that they were sitting.  
" Go on," Mamoru whispered, knowing the look  
that would be in her eyes right now. He gave her a  
quick kiss before helping her to stand up and walked  
her over to them, where she fell to her knees and  
did her best to hold all three of them.  
  
*************************************************  
  
Unnoticed in the reunion going on, Saturn  
dropped her glaive to the ground since properly  
putting it away would take too much energy. She  
didn't have it right now. It was a little strange,=20  
being alone at a time like this.=20  
Haruka and Michiru were both already asleep. Their  
eyes met for a moment so that each could verify the  
relative well-being of the other. After that, it was  
lights out for those two. Their world was complete  
again.  
The remaining Inner Senshi were in a group  
hug with Mamoru affectionately looking at his  
wife-to-be. Luna had gone back over to Artemis and  
was consoling the poor thing. The look on his face  
had been so sad before, and now it was even worse  
for him with the others back. He and Minako had been  
very close according to what she knew of their past.=20  
They had been working together as long as any of the  
rest. Michiru had once told her that they had started  
hearing of her activities just as they got underway  
with their own mission.  
Pluto was gone as well, at least as far as  
any of them knew. She'd make sure she asked Usagi  
about that later on. Would they be able to continue  
without Setsuna's guidance and assistance?  
" Chibi-usa-chan," she whispered, fondly  
remembering the times she had spent with her. Both  
Usagi and Mamoru weren't as upset as they should  
have been if their daughter was truly lost. Maybe  
she would be back soon, and she could have someone  
to be with here.  
She stretched her arms over her head with a  
sigh after picking up and putting away the Silence  
Glaive. The point of white light Usagi had emerged  
from was beginning to fade to the point where she  
could make out the shape. It intrigued her, being  
shaped like the multi-pointed broach she had once  
worn.  
That's what made her walk over to the light. Her  
toe encountered something hard that bounced away and  
she knelt to see what it was, squinting at the  
still-bright light. A watch... no, one of the  
communicators the Inner Senshi used was what her  
hand found, the brightness keeping her from making  
out the color.=20  
The light was slowly fading a little more and  
she became aware of something else lying on the  
ground. Several things, actually, her fingers told  
her as she reached into the brightness. A makeup  
case with a mirror in the shape of a crescent was  
the first thing she found. The next was a knife in  
a well worn sheath.=20  
It's blade was slightly curved, like the samurai  
swords she had seen in the pictures in her school  
books. That was followed by small pouch filled with  
an assortment of odd-shaped bits of metal that  
vaguely resemble hair pins. There were a few of those  
as well amid all the others. Searching further, her  
hands touched something warm as the light vanished.  
  
***************************************************  
  
" I'm sorry, Artemis," he said as he carefully  
picked up the two cats while Usagi extricated herself  
from the pile to snuggle in under an arm again.  
" Thank you," the cat said quietly, climbing up  
onto the man's shoulders and draping himself across  
them. " Thank you for caring enough to ask, considering  
the circumstances. We came out of this better than I  
dared hope."=20  
Usagi reached up and scratched him behind one  
ear. It felt all wrong to the cat, who shook his head  
to dislodge it.  
" You seem to be in good spirits," the cat  
continued. " I hope this means that the Small Lady  
will be all right."  
" She says that she'll be just fine," Mamoru  
said, tightening the embrace on the girl in his arm.=20  
" Hotaru healed her during the fight," Usagi  
added. " She was going away because of the interference  
in the time line that was the result of my existence  
being in danger."=09  
" Usagi-chan?" Luna asked in surprise at the  
way the answer was delivered more so than the answer  
itself. " You mean that..."  
" Chibi-usa will be back, Luna. I wouldn't be  
like this if it were otherwise," she finished, her  
voice low and level.  
" What was it like, Usako?" Mamoru asked.  
" Being dead? I don't know, Mamo-chan. I don't  
think I was dead. I think I was in the crystal," she  
pensively replied, but her voice got stronger as she  
spoke. " It's all fading, like a dream... but I do  
know that my daughter will be back."  
" Your Majesties," Saturn announced loudly,=20  
even getting the attention of the three Inner Senshi  
who still sat together on the grass. She dropped down  
on one knee, bowing her head before them. Her hands  
were held up before her like she was offering tribute  
to the two monarchs. They gently cradled a child,=20  
wrapped in a cloth of the purest white; a beautiful  
girl-child with blue eyes looking out from under a  
wisp of blonde hair and the orange sigil of Venus  
gleaming on her forehead.  
" Your Majesty, please give your blessing to  
this child," Saturn began in the traditional form of  
presenting a newly chosen Senshi to the ruler of the  
Moon Kingdom, addressing her words to Usagi. The princess  
smiled broadly, and then her eyes rolled back in her  
head as she fainted. Her companion held her, slowing  
her fall to the ground as the cat slipped from his  
shoulders in the same state as the princess.   
They had almost adjusted to this, placing the  
child in her lap as the princess began to come about  
since the infant began fussing and reaching towards  
her when a scream rang out behind them.  
" Her hair... " Sailor Chibi-moon stammered,=20  
tears forming in her eyes as they turned to look at  
her in surprise. " It matches hers... I was supposed  
to be their first one... Usagi no baka!"=09  
  
**************************************************  
  
Michiru and Haruka had been able to verify that  
it was one of Setsuna's places later on that evening  
when they woke up. Almost four hours after finding out  
that Michiru was alive, the sandy haired woman woke  
with a start and took charge of everything, getting  
them set up in rooms for the night and forcibly  
removing Mako-chan from the kitchen. She had gone  
in there with the intention of cooking but had  
fallen asleep at the table.  
" It was just a little break," the brunette  
had protested as she was carried up the stairs and  
put into a proper bed. Most of the others had stayed  
awake for a little while but had soon crashed. Haruka  
was practically humming as she walked, making quick  
work of things and calling in a massive order from a  
near-by Chinese take-out place.  
" How come you're so energetic?" Hotaru mumbled  
as she sat with a cup of coffee in her hand as the  
woman put down the phone in the kitchen. The woman  
just smiled, looking over at Michiru, who had awoken  
a few minutes ago, and began to wash up the rice cooker  
that she took out of the original box it had came in.=20  
" Ever so practical, our Setsuna," she drawled,=20  
looking at the box. " Every comfort of home, bought  
new and stored here until needed. I don't think anyone  
has lived in here for years."  
" If at all," Michiru responded, taking a sip of  
tea. She wasn't as energetic as her partner, but was  
in much better shape then the Inner Senshi. With one  
obvious exception, they were soundly asleep. " She  
probably has several more houses like this around  
the city that even we don't know about."  
" Paranoia," Hotaru commented.  
" Preparedness," Haruka responded, opening a  
large bag of rice.  
The door opened as Chibi-usa walked in, carefully  
carrying the baby.=20  
" Don't be sad about Pu," she stated, taking a  
seat at the table. It hadn't taken them very long to  
convince her that she was in error about the  
parentage of the child. They had become virtually  
unseperable after that, the girl taking the burden  
of looking after the child so the others could rest.  
" Why is that, Chibi-usa-chan?" Hotaru asked her.  
" She said that she would always be there for  
us," the girl replied, trying to cheer the others  
up. " She told me that once."  
" I think she's all right, Chibi-usa," Michiru  
said. " She's come back before after something like  
this."  
" I hope she does come back," the girl admitted,=20  
taking the bottle that Haruka handed to her before  
doing a double take when she looked at it. " What  
is this?!?" she demanded.  
" Infant formula," Michiru giggled. " It was  
in the pantry here when I first opened it up. Right  
in front of the tea."  
" What a coincidence," Haruka said wryly,=20  
winking at the young girl.  
" Coincidence or not," Hotaru interjected  
in a more somber tone. " This does leave us in an  
interesting situation."  
She looked carefully at the two women for  
several moments, meeting each of their gazes in  
turn. She then smiled, cheering up.  
" I'm in," she said confidently, tugging off her  
ring and placing it in the middle of the table like a  
card player making a bet.=20  
" Not again," Haruka laughed, taking hers off as  
well after a moment and flipping the matching ring onto  
the table.  
" I don't seem to have much of a choice,=20  
Haruka-papa," Michiru added, smiling as she did  
the same. She reached out and took the bottle from  
the baby and gently picked her up. " You can call  
me Michiru-mama. This is Haruka-papa, and this is  
Hotaru-mama."  
The three laughed at the joke as Michiru took  
the infant around, making introductions before  
sitting down again and resumed feeding her.=20  
" What was that about?" Chibi-usa asked.  
" When I was reborn," Hotaru began. "They  
made an oath to raise me as theirs. We're doing  
the same for her."  
" What about her parents?" the girl responded.  
" I don't know," Michiru ventured a moment  
later. " We'll probably talk about that later on  
tonight or in the morning."  
" Morning," Haruka added firmly. " None of  
them are going to be in any shape to think straight  
without food and rest. They don't heal as fast as  
we do."  
" I don't have a ring," the girl replied, taking  
off the broach from the bow on her blouse. " I'm not  
one of the Outer Senshi and I may not be here as much  
as the rest of you, but... "  
Her voice trailed off as she hopefully looked  
at the others, placing the broach with the three  
rings in the middle of the table.=20  
  
**************************************************  
  
" We have to tell them something," Makoto  
insisted firmly but quietly. " We have to give  
her the chance at being able to see them again."  
" What, Mako-chan?" Haruka responded. " Here  
you go, Mr. and Mrs. Aino. Here's your daughter. We're  
really sorry about all this, but we're afraid you're  
going to have to raise her all over again. We hope  
you do another good job."=20  
" Damn it, Haruka! I don't want her to be  
like me. I lost mine, and I don't want her to have  
to also. It would be adding insult to injury with  
her parents still alive."  
" How could you think of doing this to her!" Ami  
softly cried out. " After everything she's done for  
all of us, you'd just cut her off from her own family?"  
" Enough."  
" Listen!" the sandy haired woman hissed. " All  
I said is that it would be the best thing for  
security reasons. I'm not that heartless, Ami-chan,=20  
and-"  
" Enough!" Usagi yelled at them. " That is  
quite enough."  
She glared at each of them as she entered the  
room where the others sat around a low table  
littered with white cartons. They'd started arguing  
about ten minutes ago; their anger, more than their  
voices, waking her in the room upstairs that she was  
openly sharing with Mamoru, regardless of what they  
would think. It was about one in the morning, and the  
two of them had slept through the entire evening, and  
apparently through dinner as well.=20  
" As far as I'm concerned, she is still one of  
us," she declared, picking through the smaller cartons  
until finding one that was clean and empty. She shrugged  
a streamer of hair out of her way as she filled it with  
rice. " I appreciate your offer to take care of her,=20  
but that doesn't mean that you can just take her."  
" One of the Inner Senshi," Haruka muttered.=20  
" A Sailor Senshi, Haruka," she said flatly  
while picking up some of the spicy shrimp and putting  
them in her carton. She looked the tall woman straight  
in the eye before continuing, steadily meeting her gaze.=20  
" All right, Usagi," she said several seconds  
later and looked away, sighing.=20  
" Thank you," the blonde replied, sitting down  
next to the woman and warmly clasping her around the  
shoulder with one arm before beginning to eat.=20  
" I need your help, Haruka-san," she  
admitted. " I'll need all of you to help me out  
in the days to come. I'm not going to be perfect  
at this, and I'll need your help in making it  
through the rough spots."  
" What do you think we should do about Minako,=20  
Usagi-chan?" Rei asked, getting up to take a seat on  
the couch behind her.=20  
" I want her to have her family," Makoto  
interjected. " She deserves that much."  
" I know, Mako-chan," Ami continued, looking  
pensive. " Haruka-san is right, though. What do we  
tell her parents?"  
" We can't take her back like that," Hotaru  
waved her hand towards the futon that had been brought  
into the room. Artemis was curled up next to the infant,=20  
silently debating his decision to watch over her as the  
girl pulled on his tail.  
" Hotaru-chan," Michiru asked. " You've been where  
she is now. Is there any way that you could tell if she  
is going to grow up as quickly as you?"  
" That would be a big help," Ami added hopefully.=20  
She shook her head, her short, black hair swinging  
around just above her shoulders.=20  
" I'm sorry, but I don't know."=20  
" We have to do something quickly," Rei said. " Her  
parents are going to get worried soon. I'd like to spare  
them not knowing anything, regardless of what we decide."  
" If I may?" the cat called out from the futon. " In  
the Moon Kingdom, the Senshi were never directly  
reincarnated. When one was lost, the mark would soon  
appear on another. I don't know if it's true or not,=20  
but there are old stories of some of them who were  
chosen as infants who grew up extremely quickly,=20  
like Hotaru-chan."  
" Maybe you weren't an isolated case then,=20  
Hotaru," Ami said, closing her eyes to think about  
the possibilities.  
" Michiru-san, Haruka-san," Usagi turned towards  
them. " Pluto mentioned a winery being held in trust  
for me. What kind of financial shape was she in?"  
" What do you need, Usagi-chan," Hotaru laughed  
bitterly, feeling a sudden pang of loss. " That's what  
she asked me when I asked her how much money she had."  
" There's a lot, Usagi-chan," Michiru  
confirmed. " What were you thinking of?"  
" I was never any good at sports," Usagi  
said cryptically. " How good was she at volleyball?"  
" Very," Makoto answered. " I saw her in a  
pick-up game at one park near her house several  
months ago. Some girls from her school were trying  
to get her to rejoin the team."  
" Professional, or at least close to that?"  
Makoto shrugged her shoulders.  
" I guess."  
" The European tour!" Rei exclaimed, snapping  
her fingers.=20  
" She wanted to be on it," Usagi said sadly. " She  
could have, if it wasn't for me."  
" I'll make a call, odango-chan. Her brokers in  
Switzerland don't sleep, and one of them should be able  
to let me know some more about it."  
Haruka got up and left the room, going into the  
library and shutting the door.  
" She said she never told anyone but me,=20  
Usagi-chan," Rei asked her. " How did you know she  
wanted to do that?"  
She closed her eyes at the question, whimpering  
once from the anguish as she looked at the memories  
that were still inside her from when she had that brief  
moment of contact with Minako's mind. It still hurt to  
think of what she had done.  
" She used the crystal, Rei-chan. She did what  
my mother did, giving her life in place of mine. I  
touched her mind. I felt what she felt."  
  
*************************************************  
  
He waited in the darkness, watching her go down  
and talk to them. The top of the stairwell made a good  
spot to watch them from, and the shadows assured him of  
not being spotted.  
" Mamo-chan," she had whispered to him, standing  
at the top of the stairs as he put his arms around her  
from behind. " I need to do this, but I have to be on  
my own."=20  
" I understand, Usako," he murmured, giving her a  
quick kiss. " I'll be up here if you need me."  
They had spoken of this before they had slept. Minako's  
actions made her see this task in a whole new light. Usagi  
had never thought that being the leader of the group would  
be very hard, but now she knew differently, thanks to  
seeing it from a new viewpoint. She had told him of the  
significance of the sword that Venus had carried, and  
that Haruka had respected Minako's wishes that Usagi be  
the leader of the group.  
Now, since that restriction was no longer there,=20  
and with Setsuna missing, Usagi was determined to make  
sure that the burden that had nearly made Minako break  
wouldn't be shouldered by another one of her friends. Her  
heartfelt refusal to allow any more of them to be hurt  
had finally put an end to their conversation as she  
broke into tears, remembering her friend. It had taken  
him some time to get her settled down and sleeping in  
order to get the rest she clearly needed.  
He heard the conversation pause as Haruka left  
the room to go into the library, the heavy door clicking  
shut behind her. The worst part for Usagi right now was  
that they had no way of knowing that the child downstairs  
was actually Minako. She was a blonde, and also had blue  
eyes, but that was no guarantee.=20  
He wasn't even very sure of how to console her about  
this. He had never had many friends in this life, and never  
had been in the position of losing one of them that had been  
as close as those two had been. She, on the other hand, was  
emotionally devastated by it.=20  
Usagi was also beginning to see the effects that being  
a Senshi was having on her friend's lives. She still thought  
they did it as a duty, however, and railed against them  
giving anything up for her. The fact that they did it out  
of love was something she was still missing. They gladly  
  
accepted those chains, and would continue to do so for the  
rest of their lives.  
Her crying brought him out of his reverie. She must  
have started thinking about her, he decided. It was still  
going to take some time for her to get over it. He stood  
and walked down the stairs, sitting on the arm of the  
couch by her and putting a hand on her shoulder.  
You did a very good job, he said silently, letting  
his eyes convey the message to her as she looked up to  
him for reassurance.  
  
**************************************************  
  
They fell silent at the expression on her face as  
she came back into the room about twenty minutes later.  
" I talked to one of the lawyers there," Haruka  
began, going over to sit next to Michiru, carefully  
keeping her face in a neutral expression. " One of the  
corporations we have a significant portion of stock in  
sponsors a team on a semi-pro league, mainly as a tax  
write-off. He'll take the necessary steps on the paperwork.=20  
" I filled in a few things, Usagi-chan. They'll  
hire some girl to play on the team under her name who'll  
look close enough to her for when we send pictures back  
to her parents. Ami-chan can touch them up on the  
computer to take care of the rest."  
" That's a good idea," Makoto smiled,=20  
relieved. " Thank you, Haruka-san."  
" Haruka," Michiru asked a few moments  
later. " What is it?"  
" Two hours ago, the word of a corporate merger  
was leaked to the press in America. It would have a  
large impact on the financial holdings in the  
American and European markets that would have  
severely impinged on our own holdings.  
" Setsuna has the system arranged such that  
we really don't have to do anything, since management  
companies like this one handle most of the  
paperwork. We're quite spread out in most areas,=20  
with all of it funneling into a number of Swiss  
accounts in the case of the holdings that would  
have been affected.  
" Ten minutes before I called him, he received  
his instructions on how to react to this situation  
and the changes that should be made. It was sound  
advice, and all the proper procedures and codes were  
used in this conversation. I checked her organizational  
chart, and this man is at the top in this area. Only  
one person has the authority to tell him what to do  
on these accounts, and he assured me that it was that  
person.=20  
" It was a live call, not a tape or a fax. The  
only person he deals with is Setsuna."=20  
  
***************************************************  
  
" Ikuko-mama!" Chibi-usa cried out, running over  
to her for a quick hug before going upstairs.  
" Hi, Mom," she added, putting the groceries on  
the table that her mother had asked her to pick up when  
she called home earlier in the morning. " Rei's throwing  
another sleepover tonight at the temple."  
" Another one?" her mother asked, eyebrows raising.  
" She's afraid of the dark," Usagi quipped, smiling  
at her. She still couldn't fool her mother, no matter what  
happened. " And she's even more afraid to admit it. Her  
grandfather's away for the week on a retreat and she  
doesn't like to be alone all the time up there."  
" All right, Usagi-chan," she relented. " You can  
go, but only because you're not in school right now."  
" Thanks, Mom," she beamed, putting the milk into  
the refrigerator.=20  
" Will the usual gang be there?"  
" Yes," she forced herself to say, burying her  
face into the contents of the lower shelf while  
pretending to arrange things to clear up more space  
so her mother couldn't see the look on it.=20  
" Mom?" she asked a few minutes later after she  
finished putting away the rest of the perishable items. Her  
mother looked up from the cutting board and the onions.  
" I got these for you," she ventured, holding out  
the envelope. Her mother wiped her hands on a towel and  
took it. She gasped when she took out the tickets.  
" Usagi! How? They sold out as soon as it opened."  
" One of my other friends knows the owners of the  
auditorium. I was able to get the tickets at the same  
price that they charge the families of the performers. I  
know that both you and Dad wanted to go see it."  
" But-"  
" No buts, Mom," she interrupted her, enjoying  
the look of surprise and delight on her mother's  
face. " The neighbor's will watch Shingo tonight  
at their place, and I'll take Chibi-usa over with  
us. I already checked with them."  
" I'd better get going then, if the dinner is that  
early," her mother said, untying the apron strings and  
uncharacteristically tossing it over the back of a  
chair. " I'll need to make it to the hairdresser, and  
get my nails done, and... oh, my!  
" Thank you, dear," she said, stopping in front  
the girl to hug her. " Your father will be delighted."  
" No, thank you," she insisted, holding her  
mother there for the few seconds she would need to  
say it. " I haven't said it as much as I should.  
" Thank you, Mama."  
  
***************************************************  
  
" We're almost there, Artemis," she said  
nervously.  
" Thank you, Usagi," he replied. " She would  
have never ran off on her parents like they suggested.=20  
This isn't the circus."  
" I hope I don't screw up," she confessed as  
they rounded the last corner and walked up to the  
door.  
" You were doing pretty good when I tested you  
on everything. Will it hold out?"  
" Yes," she replied, sighing a moment as she  
remembered looking into her friend's memories earlier  
in the day. " I'll make it through. I have to, for  
her."  
" Michiru said that the team's scout will be  
out by tomorrow to pitch it to her parents. Chartering  
that jet sure sped things up. Remember, stress that  
you'll get private tutoring. Her parents always  
bemoaned her lack of good grades. That will help,=20  
and if it works, it's only for tonight and tomorrow."  
This is it, she thought to herself, taking a  
deep breath. She would be alone on this one, facing  
one of her most difficult challenges. I'm doing this  
for you, Minako-chan, she whispered and reached into  
her dimensional pocket.  
Usagi whispered the words, the magic of the  
transformation pen changing her form. It wouldn't  
have been possible if they didn't look so close to  
begin with. The pen was good for detail work, but  
couldn't change her too much, say to look like  
Mako-chan, for example. Her hair changed, shortening  
slightly and spreading out while her whole body  
stretched, making her slightly taller. The strangest  
part was feeling her face change.  
" How do I look?" she asked, her voice sounding  
strange to her ears. The cat just looked away with a  
flash of pain on his face. She must have gotten it  
right. " I'm sorry," she whispered, taking a key  
out of the normal pocket of the light blue sundress.  
" Mom! Dad! Guess what happened!" she called  
out, forcing herself to smile as she swung open  
the door and bounded in.  
  
************************************************  
  
It was ironic, she decided. One of the few,=20  
fleeting memories of her time on the moon was  
listening to Pluto say how much she regretted  
that all of the most recent Senshi were grown up  
at that time. She had liked doing all the work  
involved in raising them, since there was usually  
at least one who was a child at any given time.=20  
" She can have the job all to herself," she  
whispered, glancing down at the child cradled on her  
lap. As nice and sweet as the little girl was, it  
still meant midnight feedings, diaper changes and  
the whole works during this past month.  
Much like Hotaru, Chibi-minako, as they were  
affectionately calling her, was a delightful child. I  
hope it's as easy as this, if Michiru and I ever decide  
to adopt or... whatever. She shook her head at the  
memory, remembering the discussion they had about this  
subject while raising Hotaru. Being around a baby had  
made Michiru talk about having one someday.  
" Hey there," she crooned as the baby looked up  
at her, having woken up from her nap. The girl's hair  
was growing rapidly and they'd probably need her red  
ribbon in a few months. She scooted back a little and  
pulled her up so that she was sort of standing, although  
leaning against her chest was a more appropriate term.   
" Stop that," she protested as the child grabbed  
her nose. She held out a finger for the girl to latch  
onto, instead. " You're too strong for that anymore. Here."=20  
The offered finger was grabbed and squeezed while  
Minako looked around the dim room and at the bay window  
behind her. They were currently staying at a mountain  
cabin that was one of their safe houses. Hotaru was off  
for a couple of days to see her father, leaving just her  
and Michiru today.   
Ami was coming up with Usagi in the morning. She  
had been able to verify that the child wasn't a newborn  
when they had first found her, but knew little else on  
the subject. She had undergone a crash-course in  
pediatrics with the help of her mother, so they might  
learn something more about her tomorrow.  
The blue-haired girl had also made short work of  
creating the identity of the child in the computer  
networks thanks to all the passwords she now had since  
Michiru had given her access to their computer  
system. Legally, she and Michiru were the guardians  
of this child; the poor, little waif having been  
abandoned by her mother on their doorstep. Later,=20  
Minako could take over her old identity, assuming  
it was really her.  
There still hadn't been any sign of Setsuna,=20  
but her contingency plans were making it much easier  
for all of them. Chibi-usa was still moping around  
with the others, fervently hoping that this wasn't  
the end for Pu. They all were, really.=20  
" Ow!" she said automatically, taking a strand  
of hair from the mischievously grinning girl's grip.=20  
Looking around, she couldn't see anything that would be  
a good distraction for her that was in reach, and she  
didn't really want to get up.  
Snapping her fingers, she reached into her  
dimensional pocket and removed the other sword. She  
had made a rough, serviceable scabbard for it first  
thing after Usagi gave it to her to hold in trust for  
the child. It was heavy and bulky, but she lay it down  
so that the hilt was in reach of the baby's hands.  
Her face lit up at the sight, just like it always  
had. The girl loved anything bright and shiny, and  
began to grab at it with both hands. Haruka laughed,=20  
holding the sword there for several minutes before  
putting it away.  
" It's almost time for your bottle," she said  
as the girl began to fidget and reach over her own  
shoulder, looking at the windows now that her plaything  
was gone.  
She was about to stand up when she realized the  
room was just brighter than it should have been on  
this dark night. The girl's features were tinted a  
soft gold from something that was behind her. Minako  
was also smiling and cried out happily at whatever it  
was.  
It couldn't have been a threat or she would have  
felt it. Michiru was asleep in another room, and there  
was thirty feet of empty air below that window, and no  
ledge for anyone to stand on. There was, however, a  
print of a painting on the other side of the room with  
a glass pane protecting it. She slowly raised her eyes  
to it in order to make sure that whatever it was would  
not be aware that she knew of it's presence.  
A young woman floated in the air outside, wearing  
a white and orange fuku, and she glowed the same golden  
color as her long hair. She was making a silly face at  
the child and waving a hand at her. She then stopped and  
straightened up, a more serious look on her face as she  
slyly winked.  
Haruka burst into motion, spinning as quickly as  
she could under the circumstances, her arms carefully  
holding the child. By the time she turned around, the  
figure outside the window was gone.  
  
  
The End.  
  
  
************************************************  
  
All characters are copyrights of the respective  
holders.  
Please send comments, etc. to the above e-mail  
address.  
  
****  
  
Author's notes. 11-22-96.  
  
  
First, I would like to thank all of the people who have   
read the stories and were kind enough to write and let   
me know what they thought of the stories. It is a big   
help in keeping up the drive to continue.  
  
After a lengthy delay, here is 'Obligations', which is  
the third story. It is based on the events that happen  
in my two earlier stories, 'Awakening pt 1 and 2'. I   
would recommend reading them before this one.  
  
'Obligations' is set just after the Nephrenia arc of the   
current television series in Japan. After that point, my   
story goes one way while the 'Stars' anime goes another.   
My guess is that it is about two years since Usagi became   
Sailor Moon at the start of the first series.  
  
Most of the events are based on the anime from Japan, and   
very few ideas are taken from the English-language version.  
I am introducing some elements from the manga into the story,  
but I am trying to make sure these are thoroughly explained.  
Also, be warned that there are spoilers about some of the  
events in the portions of the show that have not been seen  
in the English-language version.   
  
Please contact me if you have any questions about the   
story and I'll be glad to try and clear it up.  
  
Thank you for taking the time to read these sories   
and also for your support.  
  
Tim Nolan  
  
****  
  
  
Special thanks to the following...  
  
Naoko Takeuchi, of course.  
  
Luna and Artemis for kind words, support, and being  
good friends.  
check out their page at  
http://penicillin.cyber-naut.com/~arteluna/  
for the best Sailor Moon fan-fiction collection.  
  
Andrea Hui for more kind words, support and  
friendship.  
check out her page at  
http://ctdnet.acns.nwu.edu/~aerdnahu/  
  
Chris Davies for inspiration.  
check out his page at  
http://www/ualberta.ca/~cdavies/hmpage.html  
  
Alex Glover for his wonderful work on manga synopsii.  
unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the  
status of those is up in the air. check out his  
page for the latest information.  
http://www.nwlink.com/~kurozuki/manga.htm  
  
and last, but certainly not least, to Andrea Lam, a.k.a.=20  
Chibi-mika at the dolly station on O+-, for being a  
test reader and making sure I saw many of my mistakes.  
  
Without all their help, this story would not be as good  
as it is.  
  
Many thanks,  
  
Tim Nolan.  
11-22-96.  
  
  
  
  
end. Obligations {3/3}  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
